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Borges Commemorations Highlight Manuscripts and Public Programs on 40th Anniversary

Exhibitions and public events foreground Borges' manuscripts to reveal his composing methods to new readers.

Overview

  • A cluster of free readings, talks and performances in Buenos Aires is running this week and culminates with a public jam de lectura at the Biblioteca Argentina Dr. Juan Álvarez on Sunday, June 14.
  • An exhibition titled “Borges. Años de esplendor literario” opened in Madrid's Biblioteca Pública Municipal Eugenio Trías on June 11 and will remain on view through July 9.
  • The Madrid show presents original manuscripts or high-quality reproductions of key texts such as “Las ruinas circulares,” “La lotería en Babilonia,” “La forma de la espada,” and “Tema del traidor y del héroe.”
  • Curators and critics are centering “El Aleph” and displaying Borges' tiny handwriting, variants and annotations to illuminate his drafting process and the manuscripts' material history including the 1985 Sotheby's sale.
  • Libraries are pairing archival displays with open-access initiatives like the new Estantería Abierta so readers can handle texts, hear live readings and renew public engagement with Borges' work.