Richard Gwyn, a Welsh poet and translator, is the newest in a lineage of Welsh authors who have delved into Latin America, weaving together memoir, cultural exploration, and political anecdotes. His book, something of a labour of love, began in 2011 and involved sporadic voyages across the continent in the ensuing years.
Gwyn takes his readers on a comprehensive and winding journey across multiple Latin American countries, giving readings at festivals and collecting contributions from local poets for an anthology. His ventures range from the rainforests of southern Chile to a potentially mythical town along Colombia’s Rio Magdalena. Drawn towards a location where art forms, emotional states, and the allure of danger intersect, Gwyn ventures into the unknown.
His introspection extends to thoughts of national identity and the impact of Latin American history, from colonialism and the exploitation of its resources to military dictatorships and occupations. Gwyn’s journey takes him from the revolutionary atmosphere of Nicaragua – a nation where he posits poets oftentimes serve as hope bringers for a more prosperous future – to confronting gang violence in Mexico, the fallout of guerrilla warfare in Colombia, as well as seeking out Che Guevara’s place of birth in Rosario.
Gwyn’s insight into the Welsh diaspora living in the Andean foothills during his quest into the Patagonian mountains brings to mind Bruce Chatwin’s contentious depiction of the community in the 1970s. Gwyn refers to Chatwin’s book as “a slanderous and deceitful attack on the perception of the Patagonian people.”
In the Chilean city of Valparaiso, he feels like a solitary and empowered figure, akin to a rockstar, as he is pursued by a band of wild dogs throughout the city streets. Despite some instances of drawn-out writing, Gwyn’s curiosity relentlessly drives him forward, illuminating his journey. His understanding of the region’s literature is comprehensive, invoking the works of renowned authors such as Pablo Neruda, Gabriel García Márquez, and Juan Manuel Roca. Roberto Bolaño, a late Chilean novelist, serves as a spectral constant throughout Gwyn’s journey, painting an initial image of Latin America as a “brutal, poor, violent bedlam.”