Boston to Celebrate Centennial of Mexican Poet Rosario Castellanos at Harvard University

Boston will join global celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of Mexican poet and writer Rosario Castellanos (1925–1974) with an evening of discussion and poetry on Thursday, October 30, 2025, at Harvard University. The event will explore the author’s enduring influence on Latin American literature and culture through a pair of Spanish-language programs presented by the Observatorio del Instituto Cervantes at Harvard.

Presented in collaboration with UNAM Boston, Tecnológico de Monterrey, and the Consulate General of Mexico in Boston, the event will bring together scholars, artists, and audiences to honor one of the most significant voices in 20th-century Spanish-language literature.

PROGRAM DETAILS

The evening will open with Rosario Castellanos: Árbol de muchos pájaros (A Tree of Many Birds) from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., a public discussion examining Castellanos’s life and her literary legacy in poetry, fiction, and essays. The conversation will feature María Luisa Parra, Professor in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at Harvard University, and Ana Laura Santamaría, Director of the Alfonso Reyes Chair at Tecnológico de Monterrey.

From 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., Santamaría will lead Rosario Castellanos: Otro modo de ser (Another Way of Being), a poetry recital highlighting Castellanos’s best-known works — including Lamentación de Dido, Valium 10, and Lo cotidiano — through spoken word, rhythm, and musical performance.

ABOUT ROSARIO CASTELLANOS

Born in Mexico City and raised in Chiapas, Rosario Castellanos became one of Latin America’s most influential literary figures. Her novels Balún Canán and Oficio de tinieblas addressed issues of gender and social inequality, while her poetry combined irony, reflection, and political insight to amplify marginalized voices.

“Rosario Castellanos gave voice to the silenced — to women, to Indigenous peoples, to those living on the margins,” said Elsa Mosquera, Principal of Ágora Cultural Architects, one of the event’s supporters. “Her poetry remains deeply relevant because it speaks of identity, empathy, and the ongoing struggle for equality.”

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