PETROPERÚ present in International Book Fair

Within the framework of the program of activities of the Lima International Book Fair, PETROPERÚ developed the Poetic Meeting for the 40th anniversary of the Copé Poetry Prize. The César Vallejo auditorium, inside the fairgrounds, was the scene where Alonso Ruiz Rosas, Oscar Limache and Ricardo González Vigil met again with the reading public, after two years of isolation and restrictions due to the Covid pandemic.

Ricardo González Vigil, speaking of his experience as a qualifying jury for the Copé Awards, described it as a privilege to participate, since its creation, in the short story biennial in 1979. González Vigil paused in his presentation by paying tribute to Pedro Cateriano, who was one of the promoters of the Copé Awards.

González Vigil reiterated that the Copé Awards are, from his point of view, a true milestone in the history of national literature. "PETROPERÚ, with its Novel and Essay biennials, as well as Poetry, have marked the path, the way for new writers to venture into this difficult, but at the same time exciting, world of letters," he specified.

For his part, Óscar Limache, Peruvian poet, translator and educator, winner of the Poetry Cope in 1988, agreed with his predecessor and thanked the state oil company for its tenacity and perseverance in spreading the art of letters for more than 40 years. Limache took the opportunity to address those who seek to enter the world of letters, motivating them to continue writing and, even more so, "continue to participate in these awards, guaranteeing literary continuity in the country."

For his part, Alonso Ruiz Rosas, winner of the Cope in Poetry in 1999, highlighted the criteria and rigor of the selection in the bibliographic material that is presented in this prestigious award. "The Copés are very rigorous when it comes to selecting their winners and that, without a doubt, is worth noting," said this poet and cultural manager, for whom, "these 40 years of the Copés are a magnificent reference for new voices express themselves, as they have marked a path for new writers to decide to venture into this field”.

Peruvian microstories

PETROPERÚ, continuing with its program of activities at the Lima International Book Fair, presented “El microrrelato peruano. Antología general”, by Ediciones Copé, which brings together more than 100 stories, highlighting the originality and capacity of Peruvian writers in the creation of short texts. It should be noted that the book boasts names such as Carmen Ollé, Giovanna Pollarolo, Alejandro Susti, José Beltrán Peña and Ricardo Sumalavia, among others.

The Chilean writer, Pía Barros, internationally known for her stories, participated; the Argentine, Raúl Brasca, author of microfictions and essays; and the poet and literary critic Ricardo González Vigil. For them, this issue, through its more than a thousand pages, meets the main characteristics of the short story: brevity, narrative and fictionality.

In her intervention, Pía Barros stressed that this type of work is "titanic tasks", since it brings together texts that represent different cultures that can only be compiled in volumes with this number of pages. "The contribution of the oil company, by bringing together so many stories, deserves to be applauded, as it contributes to the dissemination of various points of view in national literature," she said.

At his turn, Raúl Brasca highlighted this important volume, taking into account the dimension of the project. "We don't have an encyclopedic book like this in other Spanish-speaking countries," he argued. For the Argentine author, this work will have an enormous resonance, since it not only presents small narratives, very well captured, but they are, as a whole, simple and charming stories that seek to explain the existence of man.

Ricardo González Vigil, to conclude, once again thanked Ediciones Copé, from PETROPERÚ, for publishing this anthology which, like other publications, is a true reflection of the state company's interest in disseminating letters and reading in our country.

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