Cultural activities

Peripheral Voices: Reading and Creative Writing Workshop

We invite you on a literary journey across the geographical, social, and bodily frontiers of Ibero-America.

What stories emerge when the centre is no longer the axis? In this eight-session workshop, we will explore the works of fundamental authors who have challenged the canon from the periphery. Guided by writer Luciana De Mello, we will analyse texts that are, simultaneously, aesthetic beauty and political outcry. Each session will feature an introduction to the authors in their context, followed by a group debate and a literary workshop space. 

What will we explore? 
Throughout the course, we will traverse the narrative power of Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru, through the readings of authors such as Camila Sosa Villada, Marcelino Freire, Helena Silvestre, Mónica Ojeda, Camilo Blajaquis, Gloria Anzaldúa, and Gabriela Wiener.

Workshop Objectives 
This is not just a reading space; it is a laboratory for thought and, if you feel like it, for creation.

  • Understand: We will break down the narrative tools and styles of the authors we read. 
  • Analyse: We will critically debate the contributions of their works to contemporary literature.
  • Reflect: We will address the intersections of gender, race, class, and sexuality that permeate the texts.
  • Write: You will activate your own voice through guided creative writing exercises inspired by the readings. 
About the teacher
Luciana De Mello is an Afro-Indigenous writer born in Buenos Aires. She has written about literature, feminisms, and queer culture for the Argentine newspaper Página/12. Her novel, Mandinga, was published in Spain in 2025 by Penguin Random House and was selected as one of the best books of the year. She currently resides in Belfast and teaches writing workshops at The Crescent Arts Centre.

Organizers