International writers’ residency, community poetic action, contemporary poetry readings and a Venezuelan poetry showcase headline a month of literary activity

HAVANA, Cuba — October 2026 — Cubapoesia will celebrate Literary October with a diverse program of literary, artistic and community activities across Havana, bringing together international writers, Cuban poets, artists, performers, children, readers and cultural practitioners.

The month-long program is built around a central idea: literature belongs not only in books and cultural institutions, but also in neighborhoods, public spaces and direct encounters between people and writers.

From the inauguration of an international writers’ residence to itinerant community poetry, contemporary poetry readings and a major presentation of Venezuelan poets in Old Havana, Literary October will create multiple spaces for literature to meet the public.

AN INTERNATIONAL RESIDENCE FOR WRITERS

The program opens on October 6 at 10 a.m. with the inauguration of the International Residence of Writers at the Cubapoesia Center, 11 and 4.

The inaugural guest will be Miguel Manzanera Salavert, Spanish poet, narrator, sociologist and university professor.

The residence represents an important step in strengthening Cubapoesia’s international literary connections, providing a space where writers from different countries can encounter Havana, exchange experiences and participate in the city’s literary life.

Through the residency initiative, Cubapoesia places international dialogue and direct communication between writers at the heart of its cultural mission.

POETRY TAKES TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD

On Saturday, October 17, at 10 a.m., Cubapoesia will take literature beyond the traditional cultural venue with a Community Poetic Action in the area of Reforma Park and 12 and the Sports Casino.

The itinerant initiative will combine poetry with community celebration and recognition of those contributing to the transformation of the neighborhood.

The program will bring together a wide range of artistic expressions, including a children’s show, books, trova, actors, painters and oral narrators, creating an open cultural encounter for residents and visitors.

Rather than separating literature from everyday life, the action brings poetry directly into the community, transforming public space into a meeting place for books, performance, storytelling and artistic expression.

CONTEMPORARY POETRY IN DIALOGUE

The literary program continues on Thursday, October 22, at 11 a.m., with a session of Readings of Contemporary Poetry at the Cubapoesia Center, 11 and 4.

The event will be hosted by Virgilio López Lemus, one of Cuba’s recognized literary voices and a prominent figure in the study and promotion of poetry.

The reading will provide a space for contemporary poetic expression and for dialogue between writers, readers and audiences interested in the evolving forms and languages of poetry today.

A SATURDAY OF BOOKS IN OLD HAVANA

Literary October will also bring a significant international dimension to Old Havana with Saturday of the Book, to be held on Wooden Street at Plaza de Armas.

The event will feature five distinguished Venezuelan poets:

• Edmundo Aray
• Gustavo Pereira
• Luis Alberto Crespo
• William Osuna
• Tarek William Saab

The presentation will be coordinated by Karel Leyva and Dimarys Eagle.

The participation of five Venezuelan poets places literary exchange between Cuba and Venezuela at the center of the event, highlighting the role of poetry in connecting Latin American cultural experiences and traditions.

LITERATURE AS A LIVING ENCOUNTER

Across its different activities, Literary October of Cubapoesia presents literature as a living practice—one that moves between the page and the public square, between international encounters and neighborhood communities, and between established literary spaces and new audiences.

The program brings together international residency, poetry, books, music, performance, visual art, oral storytelling and community participation, creating a cultural landscape in which different artistic forms can meet.

For Cubapoesia, October is therefore more than a sequence of literary events. It is an invitation to experience poetry as a form of encounter: between writers and readers, Cuba and the world, literature and community, memory and contemporary creation.

With activities extending from the Cubapoesia Center to neighborhood spaces and the historic heart of Old Havana, Literary October 2026 reinforces the place of poetry and books in the cultural life of the city while opening new paths for international literary dialogue.

Cubapoesia’s Literary October makes Havana a meeting place for voices, stories and poetic visions—bringing literature closer to the people who read it, create it and keep it alive.