CeMaB, the Mario Benedetti Center for Ibero-American Literary Studies at the University of Alicante, presents a fresh edition of its long-running cycle, inviting readers to a moment of discovery through words. On Monday, 28 November, at 12:00, the San Vicente Campus premises, Faculty of Philosophy and Letters III, will host a dialogue featuring Peruvian writer Ricardo Sumalavia and Peruvian-Venezuelan writer Kathy Serrano. The conversation will explore their respective bodies of work, offering attendees a chance to reflect on how their literary selves intersect with broader cultural currents.
The discussion will be conducted in person until seating runs out and will also be available to watch live for those unable to attend on site.
Ricardo Sumalavia
Born in Lima in 1968, Sumalavia holds a Doctorate in Literature from the University of Bordeaux. His career includes time living in South Korea and France, and he has directed significant literary projects at the Catholic University of Lima, where he oversaw the Underwood Collection and the Orientalia Collection. He later directed the Center for Oriental Studies and remains actively involved in shaping contemporary Latin American literature. His published works span short stories, novellas, microfiction, and novels. Notable titles include Bedrooms (1993), Family Portraits (2001), Micro Storybooks Minimal Encyclopedia (2004), and Plastic Encyclopedia (2016). His novels include May the World Be Soft (2008), So Long as the Body Escapes (2012), We Are Not (2017), and A Story of an Arm (2019).
Kathy Serrano
Born in 1968 in San Cristóbal, Táchira, Venezuela, Serrano is a Peruvian-Venezuelan actor, theater director, and writer. She earned a Master of Arts from the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts in Saint Petersburg. Her works span a range of forms, from short stories to longer narratives. Recent releases include In an Existing Sound (Planet, 2019), Minimal Stories, Microfiction (Dendro, 2020), The Day We Return (Pandemonium, 2020), and On the Way. Her writings also explore new literary sounds across Latin American contexts, with titles such as New Sounds of Latin American Downsizing (Ququarks, 2020), 21. Stories of Women Fighting for Peru’s Independence (Petroperu, 2021), and Uchronic. Alternative Paths to Reality (Pandemonium, 2021). Serrano conducts creative writing labs at the Island School and her first book, Wet, Dirty and Violent (Estruendomudo, 2020), was nominated for Best Storybook at the 2020 Luces Awards by the newspaper El Comercio.