La Jornada: The FIL award will no longer be called Juan Rulfo, the writer’s children maintain

Guadalajara, Jal., The brothers Pablo and Juan Carlos Rulfo, and the president of the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL), José Trinidad Padilla, agreed that there is an evident rapprochement between the family of the Jalisco writer Juan Rulfo and the editorial meeting, after since 2005 the name of the novelist was withdrawn from the award that is awarded year after year in the context of that meeting, but they also agreed that Rulfo’s name was not will once again identify said award.

“Returning Juan Rulfo’s name to the award given by the FIL is an issue that was settled many years ago. I remember that there was mediation from great friends, both from the FIL and the Rulfo family, and even from Carlos Monsiváis – who was the last recipient of the Juan Rulfo Award –, and finally the fair decided to respect the will of the writer’s relatives. Today is a page that, for our part, was turned a while ago, but we will always continue to honor the memory of Rulfo,” said the president of the FIL, Trinidad Padilla López.

Pablo Rulfo considered that returning his father’s name to the award is an issue “that is not in his head and there have been no talks about it,” but he praised the approach with the FIL to expand the impact of the Rulfiano Arts Festival to be held in May, in which the fair, together with the University of Guadalajara, will participate for the first time.

“That is what is important, to promote culture, because today what Jalisco needs, in our modest opinion, is to strengthen culture, to bring all the works, the creative spirits of this state forward,” he said.

His brother Juan Carlos is of the same opinion, and pointed out that, also after the discredit caused by the presence – “which was an open secret” – of the criminal group headed by the deceased Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (El Mencho), The south of Jalisco must shake off the stigma by showing the power of its culture.

Boost to the south of Jalisco

“We also want to build hospitals, pave, make soccer fields, educate the new generations; we want to encourage reading through painting, poetry, their own stories,” added Juan Carlos with reference to his father’s metaphorical Comala, that burning region in the south of the state that includes municipalities such as Sayula, San Gabriel or Tuxcacuesco.

The rapprochement between the Rulfo family and the FIL consists not only of the marathon that took place yesterday, in which the novel was read in relays. Pedro Paramo at the University of Guadalajara, but also that in May, and on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the writer’s death, it will coincide with the Rulfiano Festival of the Arts organized by the family, which takes place in the southern region of Jalisco where the author’s two main works are inspired.

Juan Carlos Rulfo pointed out that the Ruta Rulfiana project and its festival, by going beyond the merely cultural, is growing in support from the private initiative of municipalities in the south of the state, as well as from mayors, and he hopes, he said, that soon from the state government, whose head, Pablo Lemus, promised before becoming governor that he would participate to promote that area.