Carpentier’s life under the singular prism of Urbano Martínez Carmenate.

120 years after the birth of Cuban intellectual Alejo Carpentier, the printing of Carpentier, the other novel, by Matanzas writer Urbano Martinez Carmenate, winner of the National History Prize, published by Matanzas Editions, dedicated to the first president of the National Printing House born with the Revolution in 1959, the Cervantes Prize laureate and founder of the UNEAC, becomes a substantial tribute.

We were anxious for the release of the books, which constitute the first complete biography of the outstanding Cuban intellectual Alejo Carpentier Valmont, creator of «the marvelous real» in the literature of Latin American lands and author of extraordinary novels such as El reino de este mundo, Los pasos perdidos and La consagración de la primavera (The Kingdom of this World, The Lost Steps and The Consecration of Spring).

Once again, Cardenal surprises us with this appealing biography of the Cuban writer born to a French father and a Russian mother, and reaffirms my opinion of defining Urbano as a great and singular biographer, because although there may be some who praise him for his tenacity or investigative virtuosity, I am fascinated by his «casual» style, neither rigid nor formal, when it comes to approaching the human being, in his emotional and influential edges within the historical context in which he lives, which in no way is alien to him.

The presentation of this issue takes place only a short time after the happy publication by the same imprint of another important text, Fray Candil, la pluma de diablo, winner of the José Luciano Franco Ferrán Historical Criticism Prize 2023, recently awarded at the 32nd Havana International Book Fair.

Urbano told the press that «unlike previous writings where Carpentier’s trajectory is only touched upon in brushstrokes, on this occasion his life from the union of his parents to the moment of his death is collected».

The text of the matancero is divided into two volumes in order to «expose the vast life of the writer, essayist, journalist and diplomat», born in 1904 and whose death occurred in 1980, to whom tribute is dedicated in this festival of letters.

Urbano Martínez Carmenate is also the author, among other works, of the biographies of Domingo del Monte, José Jacinto Milanés, Nicolás Heredia, Bonifacio Byrne and Carilda Oliver Labra, as well as the essays Cultura matancera. Identity and resistance, Atenas de Cuba: from myth to truth, Los puentes abiertos: literatura matancera (1813-1844) and Letras húmedas. The poetic city.

Also, it was learned that the first colloquium of the Matanzas Book Fair, whose main venue will be the Palacio de Junco Museum, will be held on Thursday, March 7th at 9:30 am with the presentation of the expected book, conducted by editor Norge Céspedes and the performance of the José White Camerata, under the direction of maestro Bienvenido Quintana.