The Brisa Rebelde Campeche initiative seeks to create readers of all ages in the state

The Brisa Rebelde Campeche collection is a project aimed at creating and training readers of all ages in this entity, as well as rethinking the way in which people from Campeche come to culture; That is, in a simple and massive way with short, easy-to-read books, attractive design and the highest editorial quality, says historian and career diplomat Alejandro Negrín Muñoz.

Brisa Rebelde Campeche is an initiative of the current Mexican ambassador to Vietnam, with roots in Campeche. In 2022, Negrín Muñoz presented the editorial project to the Secretary of Economic Development of the state government, who supported it as part of its project to promote and encourage reading. The former Mexican ambassador to Poland is the author of Campeche: A shared history, considered a classic in the events of the entity.

From the beginning, an editorial committee was formed made up of the academic Edith Negrín, the folksy writer Carlos Vadillo and Negrín Muñoz, who was joined by Rodolfo Fonseca, editor of books for children and young people.

The title of the collection reflects the proverbial stillness and tranquility of the Campeche Sea, in contrast to the need for movement, transformation and change that our state so desperately needs.says Negrín Muñoz.

To date, 14 titles have been published. In 2023 they came to light: Let the sweet girl go down to the beach, by the historian and novelist Justo Sierra; Three folksy stories, by the writer Juan de la Cabada; Campeche roads, the historian and politician Héctor Pérez Martínez; The city where I was born, by archaeologist Román Piña Chan; Chronicles, festive and serious, of the poet and doctor Víctor Montejo Godoy; Campeche, an extraordinary word, by the linguist Pedro Ángel Ramírez Quintana, and The burning dream of living peacefully, of the lawyer and politician José Vasconcelos, who records his stay in the port of Campeche, where he lived with his family during his adolescence.

A second series of seven books was published in May 2024: Glimpse of Zitilchén, by the writer Hernán Lara Zavala; Chicleros and lagooneros in Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, 1941, by Claudio Vadillo López; The province of Campeche and the battle of Champotón of 1517: Five chronicles, by academic Laura Sotelo; Logwood: The pleasure of flavor, from the traditional cook Aracelly Castillo Negrín; Jewels of the Mayan art of Campeche, de Sotelo and Francisco Ávila; popular songs, of the popular nineteenth-century poet Pablo Araos, and Campeche is carried in the heart, by the writer Silvia Molina.

Quality titles and authors

The selection of texts is due to the diplomat’s experience as a historian, “specialized in the history of the 19th century from Campeche. The two criteria that we have used are: having titles and authors of the highest quality and that the books refer to Campeche topics from a literary, historical or cultural point of view. Until now, the titles we have selected have been by authors that we can consider folksy classics, regardless of whether they belong to different generations.

“As for the unpublished texts or those generated by the collection, I highlight Campeche, an extraordinary word, by Ramírez Quintana, a novel essay from a linguistic point of view on the evolution and meanings of the word ‘Campeche’. Also, Mayan art jewels…, by Laura Sotelo and Francisco Ávila, who presents us with a proposal of 18 absolutely fascinating pieces or archaeological sites of the Campechana Mayan culture.”

For Negrín Muñoz, One of the great merits of the collection is that it is a strictly regional effort. The books are free and have been distributed by the Ministry of Economic Development and the Institute of Culture of Campeche (ICC) in schools, communities and libraries. I am convinced that Brisa Rebelde Campeche is an avant-garde regional cultural commitment.

The editorial board is currently in talks with the ICC, which already has a proposal for the next seven titles, which hopefully will be possible to publish this year. I would say that, as a whole, what we have published shows that Campeche is a cultural, archaeological and gastronomic power. We hope that the efforts for the economic development of the state will bear fruit very soon..