As a collaborating institution, we are pleased to announce “Darkness in the Mirror / La oscuridad en el espejo”, an event organized by the Department of Hispanic Studies at Brown University with the support of the Observatorio.
The event will take place from Thursday, April 17, to Saturday, April 19, in the Music Room at Rochambeau House, Department of Hispanic Studies at Brown University, 84 Prospect Street.
This international academic conference is grounded in the exceptional corpus of Spanish and Latin American non-realist literary and cinematic fiction, with a particular focus on contemporary voices. These narratives—infused with elements of surrealism, speculative fiction, and other imaginative modes—offer unsettling tales, portray extreme characters, and depict dystopian, apocalyptic, and thought-provoking settings. While they may appear to diverge from traditional realism, they in fact delve deeper into social horrors, repression, human rights violations, and systemic inequalities related to gender, class, race, and generation, in ways that are irrational yet disturbingly precise. By exposing the darkest facets of our world, these stories, as Argentine writer Mariana Enriquez—one of the leading voices in contemporary horror and neo-Gothic literature—has noted, have the unique power to “turn up the volume on our real world.” Through their enigmatic explorations, they offer unforgettable, cathartic experiences that confront themes such as dictatorship, climate change, femicide, and other urgent forms of social injustice.
We aim to create an inclusive and participatory literary gathering that engages both English- and Spanish-speaking audiences. Accordingly, the conference will be fully bilingual (English and Spanish), featuring scholars and writers working in both languages. Their contributions—including comparative analyses of literary texts and cinematic works—will enrich the diversity of perspectives and insights shared throughout the event. This approach is designed to foster dynamic dialogue and cross-pollination across disciplines, cultures, and languages, encouraging a vibrant and collaborative atmosphere.
Click here to access the event program.