Archive and Shimmer
Archive and Shimmer: Memory and Poetry on Chile’s Military Coup (1973)
In commemoration of the military coup’s 50th anniversary, the participants will discuss these historical events and their contemporary repercussions. Chilean poet Carlos Soto Román (Valparaíso, 1977) will read excerpts from his book 11. An explorer of material and social conditions, Soto Román uses collage and erasure to subvert declassified documents, testimonies, and media files. 11 is a reflection on the lasting wounds of Chilean memory. This reading also invites a reflection on the Finnish people’s crucial humanitarian deed, during that fraught time in Latin America. As is well known, the diplomatic corps led by Tapani Brotherius saved the lives of numerous Chileans by facilitating their escape and offering them a new beginning in Nordic lands. What poetic or intellectual lineages preserve this legacy? What does 11 tell us about current Chilean society? What is the balance of that Chilean exile in the Finnish culture of the present century?
Participants: Writer and journalist Auli Leskinen, poet Carlos Soto Román, Chile 50
Moderator: Professor of World Politics, University of Helsinki, Teivo Teivainen
“Archive and Shimmer” is organized by Sivuvalo, University of Helsinki, and the Chile 50 collective. It is Maailmasta toiseen 2023 literature festival’s second event, sponsored by Kone Foundation.
Saarikoski rug, 3rd floor (Helsinki Central Library Oodi)
6/8/2023 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM