Banned
Books
The
delegations have been informed by different sources that many
internationally well-known and respected authors do not have their
works
represented in Cuban libraries, or that, if they have, their works are
stocked
in closed areas with limited access only for those who have obtained
special
permits. Examples of works by both Cuban and foreign writers have been
listed
by Mr Robert Kent, FCL, who also
advised us that these books are not
necessarily available to readers though they are listed in catalogues.
When
visiting the libraries we, therefore, as far as possible, checked both
in card
catalogues and on the shelves. In some instances the books could not be
found
or were on loan, while in others we saw the books.
Availability
of the works of the following writers was
investigated:
* Reinaldo
Are–as - only represented at the National Library to be read on spot.
* Lino
Novas Calvo - one title at the National Library
* Maria
Elena Varela Cruz - no titles found Jesus Diaz - eight titles at the
National
Library and in another library
* Vaclav
Havel - no titles found
*
Guillermo Cabrera Infante - three titles at the National Library and in
another
library
* Mario
Vargas Llosa - five titles in two libraries
* Carlos
Alberto Montaner - no titles found
* George
Orwell - three titles at the National Library, were on loan to the
director as
he was working on an Orwell essay.
*
Lesandro Otero - one title at the National Library
*
Heberto Padilla - two titles in two different libraries
*
Octavio Paz - complete works at the National Library; two titles and a
poem
collection in another library
* Zoe
Valdes - four titles at the National Library, two titles in another
library:
one on loan the other on request
It
should be mentioned that the titles that are only available in
one copy are always kept in closed shelves and must be read at the
library a
practice well known in libraries all over the world. Furthermore, when
one
evaluates the practice of Cuban libraries, both the poor condition of
most
books and the shortage of funding should be taken into account.
When
discussing the issue of banned books with key figures of the
Cuban Writers and Artists Union (UNEAC), it was indicated that for
copyright
reasons Infante, Manach and Are–as do not want their works published in
Cuba.
They also said
that the alleged unavailability of Orwell's works is a myth on
the contrary, the National Library is preparing an Orwell exhibition
this year.
The UNEAC magazine Union publishes articles on Cuban writers living
abroad on a
regular basis (we saw a few examples of such articles) and the Union is
working
on an anthology on some of these writers. Marta Terry, ASCUBI, put it
this way:
"As long as the writer is Cuban he belongs to the Cuban literature".
When
visiting the independent libraries we told their keepers
about the book list and our results. They responded that
visitors from abroad
could get access to books that were unavailable to the public. They
also noted
that there had been no mention in the Cuban Press of Infante winning a
Spanish
book prize and that the works of Dulce Maria Loynaz had been removed
from the
libraries because of her critical opinions. However, after her death
she had
been published again. Statistics were mentioned as an example of the
lack of
free access.
More
books are welcome
To
quote the Director of the National Library, "We believe
that people should have access to foreign literature at length". When
asked whether donations of books would be accepted he said "they are
welcome as long as our institutions are respected" and they could be given
"to libraries or single persons without restrictions".
Librarians in
other libraries we visited also said they would accept donations of
foreign
writers, including those the delegates had checked.
Compare these finding, and the claims made by paid propagandists of the
Castro regime, and this independent search for Orwell in Cuba.
From
"Independent
Libraries Irk Cuba's Communist Government Bureaucrats," Houston
Chronicle,
May 26, 2001]
At
around the same time that Oberg was in Cuba making his
observations, Marion Lloyd, reporting for the Houston Chronicle, sent a
Cuban
friend to request two books for her at a state library: Orwell's
"1984" and exiled Cuban writer Guillermo Cabrera Infante's novel
"Three Trapped Tigers." The librarian
refused to provide the student
with Infante's novel, telling him that it was "counterrevolutionary."
"1984" was not even in the library's catalog.
Wrap Up
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