Cervantes Institutes Spotlight García Márquez in Egypt
The Instituto Cervantes in Cairo, in collaboration with the Embassy of Colombia in Egypt, is hosting a special two-day cultural event dedicated to the life and work of Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez. The programme, titled “Soledad y compañía. A New Vision of Gabriel García Márquez,” will take place tonight, Sunday 23 November 2025, at the institute’s Dokki headquarters, and tomorrow, Monday 24 November, at Instituto Cervantes in Alexandria. Both sessions begin at 7:00 p.m., with free admission available until seats are filled. The event will be conducted in Spanish.
The evening will feature Colombian writer and journalist Silvana Paternostro, who will present Soledad y compañía, her acclaimed polyphonic portrait of García Márquez. The book reconstructs the author’s life through the voices of friends, rivals, collaborators and those who travelled alongside him — revealing the human complexities behind one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. The sessions will be moderated by Dr. Riham Ezzat, professor at the Faculty of Al-Alsun at Ain Shams University.
Paternostro’s work highlights García Márquez not only as the literary trailblazer who reshaped modern fiction, but also as a journalist whose sharp observational style and political sensibilities left an indelible mark on his era. The book also traces how contemporary Colombian authors carry forward this dual tradition of narrative inventiveness and investigative rigor through some of the nation’s most turbulent periods.
The event is part of Instituto Cervantes’ ongoing cultural mission to strengthen dialogue between Spain, Latin America and Egyptian audiences, while broadening exposure to the rich global legacy of Colombian literature.