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Chilean Author Starts Literary Residency In Phoenix

Alejandro Zambra
(Photo by Matthew Casey)
Alejandro Zambra

Alejandro Zambra, one of Chile’s most celebrated authors, has come to the Valley for a weeklong literary residency.

Zambra was born during the rule of military dictator Augusto Pinochet, who held power from 1973 to 1990.

Critics have heaped praise on Zambra for the way his novels delve into how the country is still haunted by the dictatorship. Zambra's most recent book includes a story narrated by the son of the head of Pinochet’s secret police, according to The New York Times Book Review.

“For me, to talk about childhood and to talk about the dictatorship are more or less the same thing,” Zambra said in Spanish. “It’s difficult to differentiate the two.”

Zambra will take part in free readings, conversations and workshops while visiting the Valley.

Matthew Casey has won Edward R. Murrow awards for hard news and sports reporting since he joined KJZZ as a senior field correspondent in 2015.