MIAMI.- It all started at the beginning of 2021, when the Macondo Coffee Kendall opened its doors and Carolina Omedas, with the affability that distinguishes her, began to receive her first clients. It so happened that on one of those days, Jenny Lizrraga, director of Cinco Books, a Spanish-language book distribution company that also has its headquarters in West Kendall, entered the newly opened establishment. Jenny was struck by seeing, as part of the decoration, different covers of One hundred years of solitudethe novel by Gabriel García Márquez, and it didn’t take long for her to discover that, like her, Carolina is a great lover of books.
At Cinco Books we were looking for collaborations to hold events in Miami and in this way contribute and support the city’s families with bilingual education and the preservation of Spanish from childhood. When I met Carolina, the idea of telling stories once a month in that cozy space immediately arose, Lizrraga remembers.
And said and done, a week later the activities began, which since then take place on the last Saturday of each month at three in the afternoon. From that first moment I thought about adding to the Cuatrogatos Foundation to this activity, given that we have a long working relationship and that we share the vision of promoting quality literature and Hispanic American authors inside and outside our community, says the director of Cinco Books.
Fourcats didn’t take much begging. We immediately accepted the invitation, says the writer Antonio Orlando Rodríguez, one of the creators of the Cuatrogatos Foundation and winner of the SM Ibero-American Prize for Children’s Literature 2022. In his opinion, Cuentos en Macondo has characteristics that make it a unique event: Yes Well, there are people who take their children to Macondo Coffee Kendall to enjoy this monthly meeting, in the place there are also customers who simply went in search of a coffee, a guy or a panini, and who suddenly find themselves enjoying themselves, in addition , from the unexpected reading of a children’s book or meeting an author. This is something unusual and very rewarding.
Many Hispanic families live in Kendall. For them, having their children and grandchildren have a space where they can listen to stories in Spanish is something that makes them very happy and encourages the children to be motivated to speak the language of their parents or grandparents better, says Omedas.
For Lizrraga, the main purpose that encourages Cinco Books to be part of this project is to connect the educational and altruistic work of his company with the community where we live: South Miami. Cuentos en Macondo seeks to raise awareness within the family of the importance of keeping the Hispanic heritage alive and the Spanish language from generation to generation. The books proposed for these activities are children’s literature: we try to give prominence to the authors who live in our city and to authentic literature, that is, that originally written in Spanish. Many of the books we choose have received international literary awards such as the Ragazzi Award, the White Ravens list and the Cuatrogatos Foundation Award, among others.
But Stories in Macondo It is not the only cultural activity that this café hosts in its facilities. We are also the meeting place for the Lattes and Reading club and the Reading among Friends group, in which adults who love books participate. Likewise, we have given the space to plastic artists and have made room for different musical expressions: from opera to traditional music, explains Omedas. In addition to offering the public a high-quality coffee, we hold these events to look each other in the eyes, feel in communion, learn about the creations of different artists and share together everything that culture gives us.
Although there are several oral narrators and authors who have read in Stories in Macondo Since 2021, Betty Quintero is currently the one in charge of surprising the public at each appointment with new stories. What is the challenge of telling stories in a space like a café, where an audience of different ages comes together?, we asked him. Capture and hold the attention of those present, she responds immediately. To attract the public’s curiosity, we prepare, a few minutes in advance, a table alluding to the book that is going to be read aloud. A reading close to dramatization works quite well for me; To delight young and old alike, I share the story from the joy and emotion with which stories are experienced in childhood. There is nothing more gratifying than seeing children smile, yes; and also the smile of parents who have returned to childhood, for a few brief moments, thanks to that story.
Quintero highlights the social and cultural value of this proposal. From a social point of view, I consider it important to promote reading in public spaces so that it resonates and is replicated in private spaces. From a cultural point of view, it is an activity that contributes to strengthening Spanish as a language, because it is losing space in the new generations. Language is a fundamental vehicle to preserve our cultural heritage; and our identity is shaped by the language in which the affections and customs that each immigrant brings with them to this country are expressed. Promoting, maintaining and spreading Spanish by reading original books written in that language strengthens the roots of our community.
Writer and oral narrator Omira Bellizzio runs Poetapop, a Miami publishing imprint that also participates in Stories in Macondo. With events like this we are building the foundations of a reading community in Miami. These monthly meetings give the opportunity to share the enjoyment of children’s literature as a family, says Bellizzio. Parents and children have the opportunity to enjoy reading aloud, to discover stories, to allow themselves to react to a story with amazement, to distinguish feelings and become part of a wide variety of crazy, happy,
everyday and magical that only the imagination can set in motion. To all this we must add the benefits that a child receives, such as exercising their attention and memory, promoting discernment and understanding what is read. The reading facilitator introduces them to a wonderful world and it has its own name: Stories in Macondo.
We have received many congratulations for Cuentos de Macondo. Reading aloud creates a very beautiful relationship between the reader and those who listen, and unfortunately it is not very common these days to be able to enjoy that experience, says Carolina Omedas. This event is the result of a great team effort and consistency has been the key to its permanence over time. Word of mouth has been very important, there are already many people who know that on the last Saturday of each month, at three in the afternoon, we are waiting for them at Stories in Macondo and we are sure that more and more children and adults will continue to join.
The next Stories in Macondo It will take place on February 24, 2024, at 3:00 pm The address of Macondo Coffee Kendall is 13021 SW 88th St, Miami FL 33186.
