They present "Vindictas"... "the most comprehensive anthology of Cuban short story writers from the 19th century."

The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and Cubaliteraria published in print and digital formats, respectively, the anthology Vindictas. Cuban Storytellers, a volume of about 240 pages that gathers 34 stories by writers from the island, considered "the most comprehensive anthology of Cuban storytellers since the 19th century," according to the narrator and anthologist Marilyn Bobes.

The volume, with selection and introduction by the researcher and essayist Zaida Capote Cruz, was presented at the International Book Fair of Havana—held from August 10 to 16, 2026—. This fair, in its 34th edition, had a particular context: it was postponed from its original date in February 2026 due to the energy crisis that Cuba is facing, and took place in El Vedado, at a venue different from the traditional San Carlos de la Cabaña Fortress, amidst . The event was dedicated to the centenary of the dictator Fidel Castro, with numerous tributes to his figure. 

Capote Cruz, born in Havana in 1967 and holding a Ph.D. in Philological Sciences from the University of Havana, notes on the back cover: "This book brings into the present voices from the past that—except for a few instances—are inaudible beyond certain quite limited circles. It is, therefore, an act of justice."

To assemble the selection, the researcher had to search through old magazines, discarded books, and her own memory. In the preface, she acknowledges that "it was a task [...] as arduous as it was delightful, and it made me recall moving or joyful readings while discovering others. The texts finally gathered offer more than just a glimpse into the broad and powerful stream of stories written by Cuban female authors during the 20th century," Bobes notes in her article published in IPS.

Vindictas includes both writers residing on the island and those from the diaspora, broadening the perspective of contemporary Cuban short storytelling beyond geographical borders. Among the historical authors being rediscovered are Aurelia Castillo —one of the great forgotten figures in Cuban literature—, Lydia Cabrera, and Lourdes Casal, while more recent authors include Marilyn Bobes, Milene Fernández Pintado, Sonia Rivera Valdés, Rebeca Murga, Aida Bahr, Anna Lidia Vega, Laidi Fernández de Juan, Ena Lucía Portela, Karla Suárez, Ana Luz García Calzado, Rosa Ileana Boudet, and Lourdes de Armas.

The anthology surpasses in scope its more recognized predecessor: Statues of Salt, compiled by Mirta Yáñez and Marilyn Bobes and published in 1996 by Ediciones Unión, which gathered 43 short story writers from the period 1959-1995 and was until now considered the most comprehensive selection of its kind, as noted by Bobes in her column. The investigative work of Capote Cruz, particularly concerning the 19th century, far exceeds this prior reference, she points out.

The Vindictas collection by UNAM was launched in 2019 with the aim of critically revising the Latin American literary canon and recovering works by women writers who have been overlooked for decades. Initially started with the Novel and Memory collection, the project was later expanded to include short story writers, poets, and Latin American feminist thinkers, as well as extending to other artistic and academic disciplines. The volume prepared by Capote Cruz was previously presented at the Guadalajara International Book Fair.

In the opinion of Marilyn Bobes, it is “an essential book for understanding the evolution of storytelling in Cuba as written by women, which provides visibility to a genre that has traditionally been monopolized by men.”