CAMAGÜEY.—Although the Havana International Book Fair has been postponed due to Cuba’s complex current situation, the Camagüey-based Editorial Ácana continues its work. That persistence was evident at the Camagüey Writers’ Meeting, where several authors previewed completed projects and others still in progress.

During Pisto Camagüeyano, a space for dialogue between writers and readers, participants included Evelin Queipo, Yoandra Santana, Maikel Sardaña, and Kezia Henry, who shared their experiences and perspectives.

Narrator and playwright Yoandra Santana spoke about Brevedad de ser (The Brevity of Being), a poetry collection conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic. The book gathers brief texts—close to haiku and epigram—where the challenge lies in saying much with little. “It’s a book about finding myself. I always thirst to say,” she remarked.

 From the field of historical research, Kezia Henry presented her essay Varona y horcón, winner of the 2025 Emilio Ballagas Prize. The work approaches feminine memory through the lived experiences of grandmothers, mothers, and other women, weaving personal and collective histories.

 Evelin Queipo discussed a forthcoming compilation of short stories by members of literary workshops from various municipalities across Camagüey province. The pieces, varied in length and style, reflect different periods and aesthetic approaches while highlighting the sustained work of literary advisors within the cultural network.

 Editorial director Maikel Sardaña confirmed that these projects align with Ácana’s ongoing commitment to nurturing emerging writers through Cuba’s Casas de Cultura system, which fosters artistic development at the community level.

 According to a note published in Visor Cultural (February 2026), although the fair calendar has been modified, Editorial Ácana has several finished titles ready to circulate through bookstores, cultural institutions, and community spaces.

 Among them are El frío del último verano (The Chill of the Last Summer) by Ernesto Pérez Castillo, winner of the 2024 Silvestre de Balboa City Prize; and Yo maté a mi madre (I Killed My Mother) by Ariel Fonseca Rivero, recipient of the 2023 Emilio Ballagas Prize.

Also forthcoming are Recetofilia, by Evelin Queipo Balbuena—a collection of décima poems about cooking, co-published with the Asociación Hermanos Saíz; SMS by Alejandro González Bermúdez; Sed (Thirst) by visual artist Joel Jover Llenderroso; and La punta del iceberg. Espacio social, música e identidad cultural en Puerto Príncipe (1800–1868) (The Tip of the Iceberg: Social Space, Music, and Cultural Identity in Puerto Príncipe) by Verónica Fernández Díaz.

 In a year marked by uncertainty, Ácana’s catalog demonstrates that, even when large-scale events are rescheduled, editorial work continues—quietly but persistently—sustaining the literary life of the city.

Translated by Linet Acuña Quilez