May 2, 2025, Filed Under: Authors, Books + Manuscripts, Exhibitions + EventsCelebrating Gabriel García Márquez’s Global Journey: Q&A with the Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia by RICARDO CASTRO AGUDELO The publication of One Hundred Years of Solitude in 1967 and its global success transformed Gabriel García Márquez’s life, propelling him from being a relatively unknown writer in Mexico City to one of the most celebrated literary figures of the twentieth century. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982, cementing his status as a global icon. In 2014, García Márquez’s family entrusted the Harry Ransom Center with his archive, and it quickly became one of the Center’s most frequently studied collections. In 2020, the Ransom Center opened Gabriel García Márquez: The Making of a Global Writer, curated by Álvaro Santana-Acuña, author of Ascent to Glory: How One Hundred Years of Solitude Was Written and Became a Global Classic. The exhibition explores García Márquez’s creative journey and highlights the role of his professional and personal circles in shaping his literary legacy. Originally presented at the Ransom Center in 2020–2021 and later in Mexico City at the Museo de Arte Moderno from June to October 2022, the exhibition features a rich selection of archival materials that illuminate García Márquez’s life and work. Now, in partnership with the Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia (BNC) and Fundación Gabo, the materials have traveled to Colombia for the exhibition Todo se sabe: el cuento de la creación de Gabo, marking a meaningful return for the literary legacy of the most globally recognized of Colombian writers. The BNC’s director, Adriana Martinez, and curator, Ximena Gama, shared their thoughts about this historic exhibition, which will be on display April 23–August 2, 2025. How significant is it for Colombia and the BNC to host this exhibition on García Márquez’s global legacy? What impact do you expect it to have on the Colombian public? The exhibition of García Márquez’s archive represents a unique opportunity for researchers and the general public to access these documents, the majority of which have not been seen publicly by Colombians. This is the first time the archive housed in 2014 at the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin has been presented in Colombia. The exhibition includes a variety of materials, from personal correspondence to photographs that reveal aspects of his family and private life. It also includes manuscripts and documents related to his work as a writer and journalist. This collection broadens our understanding of García Márquez, not only as the author of one of the most important literary works but also as a man committed to development, democracy, and peace in Latin America and the Caribbean; someone who found in journalism techniques that nurtured his work as a writer; a man who was passionate about cinema and education, and who ventured in the creation of media. The breadth covered by this exhibition aims to inspire today’s storytellers to persevere in their craft by drawing on his legacy. Given García Márquez’s global reach, what can this exhibition tell local audiences about his connections to Colombia? One of the curatorial principles of this exhibition is to showcase how García Márquez’s globally recognized work is deeply rooted in his local identity. The exhibition explores his trajectory from his formative years in the Colombian Caribbean, his years in Zipaquiera and Bogotá, and his life in Barcelona and Mexico City. This exploration shows how his work resonates with readers from different backgrounds and cultures while allowing newer generations to discover the life and work of the Nobel winner. It is essential to emphasize that García Márquez’s global stature does not dilute but rather enriches the importance of his local roots. His Caribbean identity and idiosyncrasy, embedded in his narrative, show how what we perceive as distinctly “ours” can also have strong universal appeal. For the younger generations, the exhibition highlights that his success and global impact would not have been possible without his deep connection to his origins. It inspires us to explore and embrace one’s own cultural identity as a source of creativity, while exemplifying that, like Gabo, anyone can find powerful, relatable stories that transcend borders in one’s immediate surroundings. Can you tell us about the process of bringing this exhibition to Colombia? This exhibition marks the beginning of the centennial celebrations for Gabriel García Márquez’s birth in 2027. This is the result of efforts by the Fundación Gabo, García Márquez’s sons Rodrigo and Gonzalo García Barcha, and the Harry Ransom Center, with support from the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. Curated by researcher Álvaro Santana-Acuña, the exhibition comes to Colombia after previous showings in Austin and Mexico City. The exhibition expanded for this special homecoming. To do so, we have had curatorial assistance from experts in his work, like Nadia Celis, Piedad Bonnett, Weildler Guerra, Nicolás Pernett, Javier Ortiz Cassiani, and Orlando Oliveros. Each of them has contributed to enriching the exhibition with proposals for a public program that will accompany the exhibition and strengthen a more profound interaction with the collections and materials held in Colombia, especially those at the Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia. This approach aims to offer Colombian audiences a meaningful experience. How does the exhibition complement or dialogue with other materials housed at the BNC? This dialogue can be considered from three important aspects. First, the Library holds more than 1,300 published works by García Márquez, which allows for a wide exploration of the breadth of publishers of his works. Noteworthy contributions include donations by [Colombian writer and journalist] Daniel Samper Pizano—57 books and news articles—and librarian and collector Alvaro Castillo, which includes 125 books and 18 folders of press materials. The latter shows Castillo’s deep admiration for García Márquez. It features a notable number of translations in addition to first editions. Additionally, the National Library’s newspaper collections document García Márquez’s prolific journalistic career, with writings published in El Heraldo of Barranquilla, El Espectador of Bogotá, and the magazine Alternativa. His well-known interest in cinema is also showcased in the Nereo Lopez Photography collection, which includes stills from the 1954 short film La Langosta Azul, in which Gabo collaborated with his friend Álvaro Cepeda Samudio. The second aspect of this dialogue concerns scholarly interest in García Márquez’s work generated in Colombia. The National Library’s collections house a significant number of studies analyzing his literary and journalistic output, the construction of his characters, his political thought, and even his experience in Stockholm when he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982. Finally, we highlight La Gaboteca, a virtual reference room created by the BNC with research and curation by Nicolás Pernett, as a key resource for exploring Gabriel García Márquez’s legacy. Launched in April 2016, this platform offers access to a vast collection of his works and related documentation, divided into four main sections: his works, studies about him, translations, and his life and travel. La Gaboteca is a valuable resource for researchers and a starting point for readers who wish to (re)discover the author of One Hundred Years of Solitude. It facilitates access to his vast literary universe, connecting experts, fans, and the curious alike to a work that continues to inspire thousands around the world. Thanks to a partnership with the Fundación Gabo, the exhibition connects with Centro Gabo, a virtual space dedicated to preserving his life, work, and legacy, focused on novel approximations to the work of García Márquez, the building of collective memory, and the exclusive archive of the Fundación Gabo. Which items or documents in the exhibition do you think most deeply resonate with Colombian audiences? The exhibition features a collection of documents that offer insight into García Márquez’s creative process and working methods. Highlights include a proof of One Hundred Years of Solitude with handwritten revisions, as well as drafts and proofs of works such as The General in His Labyrinth, Of Love and Other Demons, Living to Tell the Tale, and Memories of My Melancholy Whores. The first draft of García Márquez’s Nobel acceptance speech is also presented. Also included are personal letters to figures such as Guillermo Cano, Francis Ford Coppola, and Carmen Balcells, along with congratulatory telegrams and letters from figures such as Julio Cortázar, Graham Greene, Marta Traba, and Indira Gandhi after his Nobel Prize win, along with letters from readers and fans. Among the more curious items is García Márquez’s 1997 request to unlock his mobile phone. The exhibition explores how Gabriel García Márquez became a globally known iconic figure. However, his shadow is understandably greater in Colombia. In your view, how has García Márquez shaped the trajectory of Colombian literature and how does his influence impact young Colombian writers? Answering how García Márquez’s legacy is perceived today is complex, but we have noticed a shift over the generations of writers. Those closer to his era often feel a sense of anxiety regarding his influence and legacy, whereas younger generations approach his work with a celebratory attitude. This exhibition aims to sustain the celebratory spirit while encouraging fresh interpretations of his work in Colombia. Today, emerging Colombian writers see him as both a universal literary figure and an inspiration for breaking conventions and exploring new storytelling forms. His legacy has changed from a more direct influence to become more of a guiding light that inspires whiles fostering diverse styles and themes. The exhibition showcases Gabriel García Márquez’s process of writing One Hundred Years of Solitude and how he built a close-knit circle of friends and trusted readers from whom he received feedback. Is his work, especially One Hundred Years of Solitude, still influential in Colombia today? How has this legacy evolved? Since its publication in June 1967, One Hundred Years of Solitude has become one of the most widely read and studied novels worldwide. In July 2024, The Economist ranked the novel about the Buendia family as the greatest book of all time, surpassing classics such as Don Quixote, Moby-Dick, and Ulysses. The recent Netflix adaptation underscores the novel’s continued relevance, and its meditations on war, love, solitude, power, and death still retain unyielding appeal among 21st-century Colombians. His work is now expanding its influence beyond literature into modern entertainment platforms such as streaming services. Beyond García Márquez, how does the Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia approach the preservation and promotion of other literary figures? How can their archives illuminate their works? Fostering conversations about the Library’s holdings among broad and diverse audiences is one of our goals. To achieve this, we have worked to develop research and exhibition projects not only on the archives preserved by the library, but also on the lives and works of Colombian writers. For instance, in 2024, we organized exhibitions on La Vorágine, part of the cultural programming celebrating its centenary, and on Colombian poet Maria Mercedes Carranza. These curatorial projects, which included a rich program of talks, guided tours, and workshops, not only encouraged new readings and discussions about these authors and their works but also became an entry point for younger audiences.
