García Márquez Takes Center Stage in Egypt Through a Cultural Event by Instituto Cervantes
The Instituto Cervantes in Cairo and Alexandria, in collaboration with the Embassy of Colombia in Egypt, is hosting a cultural event spotlighting the journalistic and literary legacy of Gabriel García Márquez, one of the most influential writers in modern world literature. The sessions—held tonight in Cairo and tomorrow in Alexandria—are part of the institute’s ongoing efforts to strengthen cultural exchange between Egypt, Spain, and Latin America.
The programme, titled “Soledad y compañía: A New Vision of Gabriel García Márquez,” begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Instituto Cervantes’ Dokki headquarters before moving to its Alexandria branch on Monday. The events are delivered entirely in Spanish with free admission until seating capacity is reached, reflecting growing public interest in Spanish language learning, Latin American literature, and global cultural dialogue.
The evening features Colombian journalist and author Silvana Paternostro, who presents her acclaimed book Soledad y compañía, a multi-voiced portrait of García Márquez crafted from testimonies by friends, critics, peers, and collaborators. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Riham Ezzat, professor at the Faculty of Al-Alsun, Ain Shams University—one of Egypt’s key hubs for translation and linguistic studies.
Paternostro’s work reframes García Márquez not only as the Nobel Prize-winning novelist behind One Hundred Years of Solitude and the global boom in magical realism, but also as an incisive reporter whose journalism captured the social and political turbulence of Latin America. Her book underscores how his investigative style, narrative precision, and political awareness influenced generations of writers during some of Colombia’s most challenging decades.
This literary event aligns with the Instituto Cervantes’ broader mission to promote international cultural understanding and expand awareness of Spanish-language literature among Egyptian readers. It also comes at a moment of rising regional interest in global arts, world literature, and cross-cultural programmes hosted by international cultural centers in Egypt
