This work continues the link that the U. de La Serena has had for many years with the Chilean poet, diplomat and pedagogue.

“Touring the Elqui Valley with Gabriela Mistral”, a selection of texts and preliminary references by Jaime Quezada, with an epilogical note by Sonia Montecino, is the latest publication from the La Serena University Publishing House, available as a new 2020 product at the ULS Bookstore. , located at Los Carrera 207, La Serena.

This book presents a selection of longing texts, anecdotes and impressions of the Elqui Valley, related to the landscape, the skies, the territory, food and animals. In this regard, the person in charge of the Publishing House of the University of La Serena, Alejandro Abufom, referred to the work involved in this publication and some relevant data in its production. “Jaime Quezada proposed this compilation project to us, which seemed like a very interesting idea to us. It was a long job of about a year and a half, where in addition to the compilation, we took the texts and gave them to a couple of regional illustrators called 'Camipepe' and we asked them to illustrate some parts of this book," he said.

At the same time, Abufom highlighted the quality of content and printing of this publication. “It is a very beautiful book, very well made, in full color and brings together in a very harmonious way the words of Gabriela Mistral regarding her native land.”

It should be noted that the “Camipepe” illustrators are 2 regional artists who participated in this project, which coincides with the work that the ULS Publishing House has been developing to promote regional work and the professionalization of the book industry, a topic in which precisely This year the University of La Serena was awarded a project of around 11 million pesos from the National Fund for the Promotion of Books and Reading, and which considers holding an editorial design workshop.

Regarding this initiative, Alejandro Abufom indicated that “our obligation as a university publisher is to promote the professionalization of the book industry in the region, therefore, we are privileging young illustrators, with a lot of potential, such as Camipepe. They are simple illustrations, very colorful, but with their own style, very distinctive of these two boys, and we hope to work with other illustrators in the region in the future.”

Written by Jenifer Araya, DIVEULS