A new podcast series titled "Lumbre" has been launched by students from the Communication Sciences Department at Universidad Rafael Landívar. The project, developed in collaboration with the Miguel Ángel Asturias Chair and the Faculty of Humanities, aims to explore the life and work of Guatemalan writer and Nobel laureate Miguel Ángel Asturias.
The podcast opens a space for interviews and conversations that examine Asturias’s legacy through the perspectives of scholars, family members, and others connected to his work at Universidad Rafael Landívar. The first episode features insights into Asturias's daily life from his son, Miguel Ángel Asturias Amado. The second episode provides an intimate look at his thought process through the eyes of his grandson, Sandino Asturias.
Subsequent episodes cover various aspects of Asturias’s career. Writer and researcher Aída Toledo discusses his narrative and poetry; Lucrecia Méndez de Penedo, director of the Miguel Ángel Asturias Chair, analyzes his theatrical works; pedagogue Irene Piedrasanta comments on his children’s literature; researcher Anabella Acevedo explores his journalistic contributions; and Luisa González-Reiche, academic coordinator at the Faculty of Humanities, describes his role as an ambassador for Guatemalan culture.
Students produced "Lumbre" as part of their Radio II course under Professor Edgar Zamora’s guidance. Recordings took place in the university’s Communication Technology Laboratory, allowing students to apply their skills while promoting awareness about Asturias’s cultural heritage.
"Iniciatives like this strengthen Universidad Rafael Landívar's commitment to being a space where art, culture, and academia converge," according to a statement from the university. "They help keep alive the work and legacy of Miguel Ángel Asturias in our country’s collective memory."
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