Tribute to Abelardo Castillo at Malba

Tribute to Abelardo Castillo at Malba, a tribute to his literary legacy
On Wednesday, March 19, Grupo Planeta and the Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires (Malba) will pay tribute to Abelardo Castillo, one of the most influential writers in Argentine literature. The commemoration, which will take place at 3:00 p.m. in the museum's auditorium, will celebrate the career of the writer, essayist, playwright, and poet, who would have turned 90 this year.
This event recognizes the profound impact Castillo left, both through his work and his commitment to educating new generations of writers. Founder of key literary magazines and director of legendary writing workshops, his legacy lives on.
A day of literature and memory

The tribute program includes a series of activities that will explore different aspects of Abelardo Castillo's life and work. The day will begin with a panel entitled "Reading." The workshop will be a space for collective conversation among authors who participated in his iconic literary workshop.

Participants will include Alejandra Kamiya, Gustavo Nielsen, Federico Bianchini, Ariel Pérez Guzmán, and Ernestina Perren. Infobae journalist Hinde Pomeraniec will be in charge of the coordination.

At 5:00 p.m., the program will continue with the roundtable "Novels, Short Stories, and Poetry of Abelardo Castillo," which will explore the various genres the author cultivated. Gonzalo Garcés, Gabriela Franco, and Liliana Heker will participate in this panel, also coordinated by Hinde Pomeraniec. Later, at 7:00 p.m., a dialogue will be held between Gonzalo Garcés and Sylvia Iparraguirre entitled "Life and Literature," which will address the relationship between Castillo's writing and life experiences.
After an interval and a toast at 8:15 p.m., the event will conclude with the screening of the documentary "A Man Who Writes," directed by Liliana Paolinelli, who will introduce the exhibition.
The Legacy of Abelardo Castillo

Born in Buenos Aires in 1935, Abelardo Castillo was a versatile writer who excelled in various literary genres. His mastery of the short story placed him among the most prominent Latin American narrators, while his novels and plays marked milestones in Argentine literature.
"El Escarabajo de Oro," a publication
Throughout his career, Castillo edited three key magazines: El Grillo de Papel, El Escarabajo de Oro, and El Ornitorrinco, which were spaces of cultural resistance and platforms for emerging writers. His work on these projects fostered the development of new generations of authors, consolidating his position as a literary and educational reference.

Among his most renowned books are The Other Doors (1961), Cruel Tales (1966), The House of Ashes (1968), The Panthers and the Temple (1976), He Who Thirsts (1985), Chronicle of an Initiate (1991), The Machineries of the Night (1992), Being a Writer (1997), The Gospel According to Van Hutten (1999), and the two volumes of his Diaries, published posthumously in 2014 and 2019.

His influence was not limited to Argentine literature; his works have been translated into fourteen languages, consolidating his international recognition.
A Writer Committed to His Time

Beyond his work as a writer, Abelardo Castillo was an intellectual committed to his time. He believed in literature as an act of social transformation and defended the writer's responsibility in the face of reality. In his essays and interviews, he emphasized the need for critical thinking and the power of words as a tool for change.

The commemoration of his 90th anniversary at Malba will be an opportunity to relive his legacy, rediscover his work, and reaffirm his place in the history of Argentine literature.

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