SX Blog

The Spanish edition of Julia de Burgos: La creación de un ícono puertorriqueño (University of Illinois Press, 2022), written by Vanessa Pérez-Rosario and translated by Isabel Zapata has received a silver award for best Latina themed book, and honorable mention, Dolores Huerta best cultural and community themed book in the 25th International Latino Book Awards, 2023 competition. Join us for a conversation with the author and award-winning poet and translator, Roque Raquel Salas Rivera. They’ll talk about poetry, translation, and the enduring legacy of Julia de Burgos. Join us!

Register for the event here.
The book is available for purchase in Puerto Rico at Librería Laberinto, just follow this link.
The book can be ordered directly from the University of Illinois Press here.

Contact:
Dantaé Elliott
SmallAxe.Assist@smallaxe.net

Co-sponsors

The Latinx Past Working Group, Crossing Latinidades

English Department, Queens College, City University of New York

Latin American, Iberian, and Latino Cultures, PhD Program, The Graduate Center, CUNY

Speaker bios

Vanessa Pérez-Rosario is a translator and professor of English at Queens College and professor of Latin American, Iberian, and Latino Cultures at the Graduate Center, CUNY. She is the author of Becoming Julia de Burgos: The Making of a Puerto Rican Icon (2014). The Spanish edition of this book, Julia de Burgos: la creación de un ícono puertorriqueño(2022) translated by Isabel Zapata, garnered the silver medal from the International Latino Book Award 2023. She is editor of Hispanic Caribbean Literature of Migration: Narratives of Displacement (Palgrave 2010) and translator of Boat People (2021) by Mayra Santos-Febres, which received honorable mention for the International Latino Book Award 2023. Her critical edition titled “I Am My Own Path: Selected Writings of Julia de Burgos” is forthcoming with the University of Texas Press, 2024. She is managing editor of Small Axe: A Caribbean Journal of Criticism.

Roque Raquel Salas Rivera (Mayagüez, 1985) is a poet, editor and translator. His honors include being named Poet Laureate of the City of Philadelphia, the New Voices Award, and the inaugural Ambroggio Award. He is the author of six collections of poems. He is the editor of the anthologies Puerto Rico en mi corazón (Anomalous Press, 2019) and La piel del arrecife: Antología de poesía trans puertorriqueña (La Impresiona & Atarraya Cartonera, 2023). Among his translations, he has The Rust of History (Circumference Press, 2022), a selection of the poetic work of his grandfather Sotero Rivera Avilés, and The Book of Conjurations by the poet Irizelma Robles. He is currently writing a trans epic poem titled Algarabía, which will be published in 2025 by Graywolf Press.

Vanessa Pérez-Rosario es traductora y profesora de inglés en Queens College y profesora en el programa doctoral de Latin American, Iberian, and Latino Cultures en el Graduate Center, CUNY. Es autora de Becoming Julia de Burgos: The Making of a Puerto Rican Icon (2014). La edición en español de este libro, Julia de Burgos: la creación de un ícono puertorriqueño (2022) traducida por Isabel Zapata, obtuvo la medalla de plata del International Latino Book Award 2023. Es editora de Hispanic Caribbean Literature of Migration: Narratives of Displacement (2010) y traductora de Boat People (2021) de Mayra Santos-Febres, que recibió mención de honor en el International Latino Book Award 2023. Próximamente se publicará su edición crítica titulada “I Am My Own Path: Selected Writings of Julia de Burgos”con University of Texas Press, 2024. Es editora en jefe de Small Axe: A Caribbean Journal of Criticism.

Roque Raquel Salas Rivera (Mayagüez, 1985) es un poeta, editor y traductor. Sus reconocimientos incluyen el nombramiento como Poeta Laureado de la ciudad de Filadelfia, el Premio Nuevas Voces y el inaugural Premio Ambroggio. Cuenta con seis poemarios. Es el editor de las antologías Puerto Rico en mi corazón (Anomalous Press, 2019) y La piel del arrecife: Antología de poesía trans puertorriqueña (La Impresora & Atarraya Cartonera, 2023). Entre sus traducciones, cuenta con The Rust of History (Circumference Press, 2022), una selección de la obra poética de su abuelo Sotero Rivera Avilés, y The Book of Conjurations de la poeta Irizelma Robles. Al presente escribe un poema épico trans titulado Algarabía, que será publicado en el 2025 por Graywolf Press.