Instituto Cervantes in London presents Héctor Abad Faciolince in conversation with journalist Irena Taranyuk, discussing the impact of violence on Abad’s literary work, with a focus on his books "Oblivion: A Memoir" and "Now and at the Hour", among others.
Abad will speak with Taranyuk about the themes that have shaped the most powerful aspects of his writing: the devastating effects of violence and war; the outrage over the killing of innocents; the guilt and bewilderment of those who survive; and the compelling need to bear witness and reflect on the strange and unpredictable experience of surviving—once again.
Héctor Abad Faciolince is a Colombian writer and journalist. His most acclaimed book, "Oblivion: A Memoir", recounts the life and assassination of his father, Héctor Abad Gómez. The book received the Casa de América Latina Prize in Portugal for Best Latin American Work and the WOLA-Duke Human Rights Award. His novel "Angosta" was awarded Best Foreign Novel in China in 2005. He has also received Colombia’s National Short Story Prize, a National Novel Grant (1994), and two Simón Bolívar Awards for Opinion Journalism (1998 and 2006). In 2016, he founded Angosta Editores, an independent publishing house in Colombia.
Abad has recently published "Now and at the Hour" in Spanish, a personal account set against the backdrop of violence in Ukraine.
Héctor Abad and His Connection to Ukraine
In mid-2023, shortly after recovering from open-heart surgery, Héctor Abad Faciolince accepted an invitation to a book fair in Ukraine. What began as a literary journey quickly turned into something more profound: an exploration of the horrors of the Russian invasion in the Donetsk region, near the front lines, alongside four other individuals. On the final day of the trip, the group gathered for dinner at a pizzeria in Kramatorsk. There, “like a lightning strike,” they experienced an event that would change them forever: a Russian missile carrying 600 kilograms of explosives struck the center of the restaurant, killing thirteen people and injuring more than sixty. Among the victims was the young Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina, a guide and companion on this testimonial journey that ended in tragedy.
Irena Taranyuk Irena Taranyuk is a journalist and broadcaster with over 20 years of experience at BBC World Service. She is passionate about making global stories accessible and engaging for Ukrainian audiences. She takes pride in explaining Ukraine to a global audience on World Service Radio and in highlighting the universality of the human experience. When not in the studio or chasing a story, she can often be found dancing Argentine tango, where she reconnects with non-verbal personal expression.
This event is organized in collaboration with the Embassy of Colombia in the United Kingdom and the Embassy of Ukraine in the United Kingdom.
