«Poets in Matanzas VIII» Presented at the Pharmaceutical Museum

54 authors are included in the anthology «Poetas en Matanzas VIII,» presented during the morning of July 8 at the Pharmaceutical Museum in the city of Matanzas.

«‘Poetas en Matanzas VIII,’ as its name indicates, is the eighth edition of this selection that began in 1958 through an initiative of the Matanzas Literary Circle and the Matanzas Atheneum, which financed the first edition.

«That was a very simple edition with a beautiful vignette by Pedro Esquerré. Then, every ten years, they continued to be published until we reached this 2025 edition, which brings together poets who create in Matanzas over the last ten years.

«This time it has the characteristic that some authors who had a strong presence in that period have emigrated, as is now characteristic in our society, and others have unfortunately passed away, but they have also been included along with those who are currently creating in Matanzas, from a 15-year-old to a person born in 1947 — that is, a very broad range.

«We have gathered poets from all over the province’s geography. Wherever there is a poet with quality work, we have tried to include them, and it has been very fruitful.

«There are 54 writers in a selection where, also as a curiosity of the sample, there are musicians, painters, historians, theater artists, actors — in short, not only those who have always been recognized as poets, but also voices of artists from other branches who also have poetry as the center of their creation. That satisfies us greatly.

«I believe it is the broadest sample that has been published in Matanzas and will be very special for the public, so that readers can approach this phenomenon that comes to demonstrate that Matanzas continues to be an important venue for poetry in our country,» stated Alfredo Zaldívar Muñoa, poet and National Editing Prize winner, who, along with Maylan Álvarez and Náthaly Hernández Chávez, was in charge of selecting the poets.

The sample of authors gathered in «Poetas en Matanzas VIII» is distinguished by its variety of styles, a broad generational range, and the presence of writers from most Matanzas territories, making it one of the most substantial of those published since 1958, when this initiative emerged.

Efraín Pérez Izquierdo, director of the Provincial Book and Literature Center, valued that this anthology «is a total success and that its presentation is one of the most beautiful events of Matanzas letters in recent years, due to the plural and inclusive nature of the project.»

«It is a beautiful moment, but it is also historic because it will transcend as one of the most important. 54 writers in one book is a cultural event that will grow over time because it brings together all voices.

«It is plural, inclusive; it brings together different generations, aesthetics, and styles that return to all of us the soul, experiences, smells, and joys of these authors who today return home with a prize, like a beloved son, to share with many friends and family.»

«Poetas en Matanzas VIII,» published by Ediciones Matanzas, features designs by Johann Trujillo. Náthaly Hernández Chávez also presented the digital version of the volume.

«The anthology ‘Poetas en Matanzas VIII,’ in addition to a printed edition, also has its digital version in an interactive PDF; it is a version that will be shared through the publisher’s networks, through national platforms, and anyone who wishes to have it directly and free of charge can approach the publisher, as it is our interest that the largest number of readers can access this broad sample of current Matanzas poetry.»

Nearly 70 years after its first appearance, through the initiative of the Matanzas Literary Circle, «Poetas en Matanzas» in its eighth edition gathers a sample of poets who have lived and developed their work over the last ten years, between 2015 and 2025, in the city of rivers and bridges.