Roberto Fernandez Retamar

Havana, June 9 (RHC) --A special issue of the magazine La Gaceta de Cuba, of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (Uneac), will be presented this Friday at the Roberto Fernandez Retamar Library of Casa de las Americas.

The publication is dedicated to the work of this outstanding Cuban poet, writer and essayist, who passed away in 2019, who would have turned 93 years old this day.

Writer Abel Prieto, president of the institution, highlighted the tribute on his Twitter account and described as exceptional the work of the 1989 National Literature Prize winner, who directed Casa de las Americas for several years.

On the social network, Uneac referred to the tribute to be held this Friday to Retamar and noted that the magazine also includes texts dedicated to revolutionary and cultural promoter Haydee Santamaria, founder of the prestigious cultural center.

Fernández Retamar played an important role in the cultural policy of the Cuban Revolution and his work was linked to the world of literature, due to his interest in writing.

He wrote poems, anthologies, study books and essays, including Caliban, which is his emblematic work and evidence of his sharpness and maturity in the field of contemporary literature.

In recognition of his work he was awarded countless prizes, among them the condition of Member of Honor of the Society of Writers of Chile (1972); the Latin American Poetry Prize Rubén Darío (1980), in Nicaragua; the International Poetry Prize Nikola Vaptsarov (1989), in Bulgaria; the International Poetry Prize Pérez Bonalde, in Venezuela (1994).

Other distinctions were the Degree of Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (1994), in France, the Feronia Prize (2000) and the Nicolás Guillén Prize (2001), in Italy, the Puterbaugh Fellow Status (2002), in the United States and the International José Martí Prize 2019, awarded by Unesco. (Source:PL)