There is wisdom in lines like, “There is nothing more foolish than to give Caesar what is Caesar’s,” and even in phrases that read like stones turning into faces. These were among the notes Mario Benedetti (1920-2009) kept while reading a book. The reflections ranged from small scribbles in margins to quick notes in pocket journals and even longer passages written directly in the text. Some thoughts sparked essays, while others grew into full-length works.
These fragments, gathered from Benedetti’s reading, are now coming to light thanks to the Mario Benedetti Center for Ibero-American Studies. The center digitized a special legacy, cataloging materials found among more than 6,000 volumes in the author’s personal library in Madrid. Donated in 2006, the collection underwent careful cataloging and digitization by a team led by Beatriz Aracil. The project will be presented at a conference on the poet’s readings, an event organized by CeMaB International poetry day, with the work opening to the public on March 20.
There are fewer than a hundred documents with these characteristics that CeMaB managed to preserve from its archives. Spanning the 1980s to 2006, the period when Benedetti returned to Uruguay, these items hold remarkable importance. “It’s a modest collection, yet it will be added to the material already available for consultation,” notes Aracil. “Digitizing this material also honors the commitment to the Mario Benedetti Foundation and temporarily completes the author’s journey.”
one year of effort
The digitization work at the center, lasting about a year, will make the written testimonies accessible to a global audience. The material includes annotations from Benedetti’s books that are foundational to Latin American literature, alongside notes related to authors such as Sergio Ramírez, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Cristina Peri Rossi. “We also discovered several small notebooks containing material intended for a conference, yet those pages hold quotations from various authors.”
Beatriz Aracil also points to some “difficult” annotations, including references to dictatorship. “There are notes attributed to the director of a Uruguayan prison, as well as mentions of a concentration camp in Chile and an autobiographical account of a political prisoner.”
While the notes emphasize Benedetti’s engagement with literature beyond politics, they also reveal how he linked political context to specific texts. Some entries reinterpret the perspective of a torturer through stories, novels, and drama, showing how the author processed political themes in his work.
essayist and critic
Another notable contribution of these annotations is a collection of lessons about Benedetti as an essayist and critic. “With these notes, Benedetti’s critical voice becomes clearer, revealing aspects that were previously lost.” The material includes observations written on hotel stationery, emphasizing the informal, candid nature of the drafts.
Beatriz Aracil observes that this background demonstrates Benedetti’s literature remains strikingly current, resonating with readers today.
Benedetti’s legacy also includes newspaper clippings and notes about other authors who drew his attention. The envelopes and folders contain clippings from Vargas Llosa, Carlos Fuentes, Gabriel García Márquez, among others. “These pieces offer an intimate glimpse into what Benedetti cut and saved, revealing his literary influences.” The project’s next phase will expand to include press clippings, following the current explorations of dedications and notes.