Laidi Fernández’ new book (Será siempre / It shall always be) was launched last August 23 in the capital city.
Most critics think that she is one of the most outstanding Cuban writers at present. She has been granted awards at national and international events, mainly due to her bold approach to gender inequity at home.
She has written novels like Nadie es profeta (Nobody is a prophet) and short stories like Oh, vida (Oh, life), La hija de Darío (Darío’s daughter), and La vida tomada de María E. (The life of María E.).
The new book, which contains 25 stories, pays tribute to her family and Latin American women writers.
In the introduction, Eduardo Heras highlighted her technical skills to describe daily life on the island.
The work deals with issues such as love and parental relations.
Stories like Por, Con, Secuencia (Consequently) and Buenos días, vecina (Good morning, neighbor) address gender violence, especially the role of victimizers.
Writer Víctor Fowler indicated at the launching ceremony that Fernández has touched on hard problems in difficult times.
«My children provide my only linkage with the present. I live off my memories and dreams,» she told SEMlac.
«I defend neither the past nor the present Cuba; I proudly defend Cuba only as a nation, she added.
«Despite all odds, we are affectionate people; we are so sensitive that we often become melodramatic. I will continue to use words like homeland, revolution and love, because they are not owned by anyone,» she emphasized.
This is her third book in 2014; the other two being Jugada en G (Play at G) and El universo y la lista (The universe and the list). She hopes to have a collection of accounts on Havana published later this year.
She announced that her anthology Invictas (Undefeated), including gender violence stories written by women living on and out of the island is already being edited.
«This issue (gender violence) remains unresolved; we have to keep battling,» she concluded.
Translated by Adolfo Fuentes
