Three writers reading
June 8, 2007


Author’s Sala Reading
Fri, June 8, 5–7pm
Posada de San Francisco
Plaza Principal 2
50 pesos, includes wine reception

This month the Author’s Sala will present three San Miguel writers who will read from their works—Manja Argue who will read some of her flash fiction. Maruja Gonzalez will read from her work in its original Spanish as well as presenting an English translation provided by Lynette Seator and Tony Foster will be reading from Ros Campbell’s poetry.

Maruja Gonzalez

Maruja González has lived in San Miguel for 42 years. Though she was born in Havana, Cuba, as a child she would visit her grandparents here in San Miguel, becoming a resident herself in 1965. She studied archaeology (E.N.A.H.) painting and writing in Mexico City and participated in The Society of Mexican Writers (SOGEM) in Queretaro for several years.

As a child I vacationed here in my grandparents’ house and after I was married, we settled here and stayed. Coming from a modern city as Havana was then and from Mexico City, where we moved when I was seven, I was struck by the difference in the way people in San Miguel spoke. In those days, San Miguel seemed to be a century behind. What I found in this town was the archaic way of life of my family who told strange stories of characters still more strange and who spoke in a peculiar way. Time here had stopped; events and people who had died years ago were the topic of conversation as if they were still alive. The long-deceased great grandparents and great great grandparents were recurrent guests in our house. Here we were under the spell of the nineteenth century. I wrote within the mind set of those dear beings, what I heard in conversations, imitating voices, expressions used by the town-folk, their prejudices, adherence to class differences, religious ideas, and sayings that to this day my family still use
s. I come from people who love talk and old sayings, stories with local color, gossip and mysteries they intended to hide from the children while we listened from behind closed doors 

Ros Campbell

Ros Campbell has been well known in San Miguel as an accomplished painter – and indeed she has spent most of her life as a professional artist. Perhaps one of her best known paintings in this town is the illustration of the fauna and flora of the State of Guanajuato which can be seen in the foyer of the Biblioteca. Ros also writes poetry, from the canvas of her mind with a love of nature that makes her poetry as colourful as her paintings.

Born in India in 1919 where her father was an inspector of schools, she moved to Australia at the age of two-and-a-half. She grew up in Adelaide, South Australia. In 1947 she moved to England where she lived for nine years. In 1956 she married a Canadian, Ted Campbell, and spent another decade in Canada before moving to San Miguel some 40 years ago.

Ros’s poetry has been chosen to reflect her life story starting with Australia and moving to England, Italy, Canada and finally to Mexico.