When author of bestsellers such as Broken Paradise (Drømmehjerte) and Tarnished Beauty (Senõr Peregrino) visited Stavanger to talk about her new book Vigil (Salvadoreña), the event crew had to search Stavanger Kulturhus for more than 100 extra chairs.
After first having moved the event to a venue twice the size of what was originally planned, the second venue also proved to be too small. The 200 available tickets were sold out one day in advance, and still 140 extra people showed up, making it necessary to search the building for extra chairs.
Samartin met Stavanger's new bishop Erling Johan Pettersen on stage, for a profound conversation about the stories of refugees, of Latin America, the necessity of hope, and the power of love.
Cecilia Samartin is Cuban-American, and immigration and exile are central themes in her writing. She says: "After a few social service internships I decided to pursue an advanced degree in psychology in order to work with the Latino community, and most especially with new and first generation immigrants like me. I've been practicing as a psychotherapist and social worker with individuals and families from Mexico, and Central and South America for more than twenty years. It's gratifying work, and the most compelling inspiration I could hope for as a writer."
Mr. Pettersen has lived several years in Brazil, and has worked a lot with Latin American refugees in Norway.
Ark Berge Bookstore organized a book signing before the actual event.
