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Untold Microcosms: Latin American Writers in the British Museum
Collection, colonialism, translation, and the ephemera that shapes the stories we tell about ourselves.
Featuring new original works Yásnaya Elena Aguilar, Cristina Rivera Garza, Joseph Zárate, Juan Cárdenas, Velia Vidal, Lina Meruane, Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, Dolores Reyes, Carlos Fonseca, Djamila Ribeiro
The Central and South American collection at the British Museum collections contains approximately 62,000 objects, spanning 10,000 years of human history. The vast majority cannot be displayed, and those objects are the subject of Untold Microcosms , a collection of ten stories from ten Latin American writers, and inspired by the narratives about our past that we create through museums, in spite of their gaps and disarticulations.
Featuring new original works Yásnaya Elena Aguilar, Cristina Rivera Garza, Joseph Zárate, Juan Cárdenas, Velia Vidal, Lina Meruane, Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, Dolores Reyes, Carlos Fonseca, Djamila Ribeiro
The Central and South American collection at the British Museum collections contains approximately 62,000 objects, spanning 10,000 years of human history. The vast majority cannot be displayed, and those objects are the subject of Untold Microcosms , a collection of ten stories from ten Latin American writers, and inspired by the narratives about our past that we create through museums, in spite of their gaps and disarticulations.
134 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 31, 2022
2 people are currently reading
240 people want to read
About the author
Yásnaya Elena Aguilar Gil
19 books124 followersYásnaya Elena Aguilar Gil es lingüista, escritora, traductora, activista de derechos lingüísticos e investigadora mexicana. Sus lenguas de trabajo son ayuujk (mixe), español e inglés. Ha realizado proyectos que atienden a las necesidades de los hablantes cuya lengua corre el riesgo de desaparecer.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 9, 2022
An interesting idea for a book, take 10 of the many items sold to the British Museum without any historical information attached to them and bring them to life with their own special narration. They were purchased because they looked like they might be interesting but with that missing information it isn't possible to display the items and this stolen heritage spends all it's time locked away. I remember going to the British Museum when I was younger and the one thought that stuck with me was why are these objects in this country? When I saw the Rosetta Stone and learnt of it's historical importance I was surprised that we had it.
There are two types of writing here, first are the more factual narrations, studying the damage caused by white explorers and companies, the racism and genocide carried out in the name of progress, these were both fascinating and hard to read, especially In the Land Of The Weeping Trees by Joseph Zárate, heart-breaking stuff. The second type are where the author creates an origin story for the item, these were so good, easy to get into and hard let go of. The Names of the Trees by Dolores Reyes and Otilio by Velia Vidal were my favourite, both authors weave a wonderfully moving story.
What this book has taught me is the damage caused these items being taken from where they were found, normally a proper archaeological dig would have been carried out, each item carefully catalogued and eventually a true understanding of the people would have been learnt, all of this didn't happen and a lot has been lost. A rather inspirational book and I'm wanting more like this to be created thanks.
Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2022...
There are two types of writing here, first are the more factual narrations, studying the damage caused by white explorers and companies, the racism and genocide carried out in the name of progress, these were both fascinating and hard to read, especially In the Land Of The Weeping Trees by Joseph Zárate, heart-breaking stuff. The second type are where the author creates an origin story for the item, these were so good, easy to get into and hard let go of. The Names of the Trees by Dolores Reyes and Otilio by Velia Vidal were my favourite, both authors weave a wonderfully moving story.
What this book has taught me is the damage caused these items being taken from where they were found, normally a proper archaeological dig would have been carried out, each item carefully catalogued and eventually a true understanding of the people would have been learnt, all of this didn't happen and a lot has been lost. A rather inspirational book and I'm wanting more like this to be created thanks.
Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2022...
February 11, 2024
“Untold Microcosms. Latin American Writers in the British Museum” is the first collection of essays published by Charco Press and what a marvellous idea it was to commission ten Latin American authors to write ten short texts on a few of 62,000 objects from Latin America currently in possession of the British Museum. Authors from Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Brazil and Peru all took a different object, which prompted them to examine notions of colonialism, Indigenous cultures, loss, representation of a culture in a museum setting, and much more.
There is bitterness in some essays and blunt honesty I appreciate so much, like in Gabriela Cabezón Cámara’s essay on the destruction of the land of the Wichí community of Argentina: “The West, that inhumane and foul factory that reproduces itself and kills everything else, seems to be the absolute winner”- writing about favouring profits and worshipping capitalist flawed practices by white land ‘owners’ over the rights of Indigenous people to their own land.
I appreciate the essay by Lina Meruane on facial expressions of masks with prominent lips and hanging out tongues portraying fatigue due to slave labour of Afro-Bolivian and generally Indigenous and Afro-descendant population of Latin America.
Dolores Reyes’ story is a beautiful representation of ecofeminism and matriarchal culture that existed in Ecuador (and also many other parts of Latin America) before Christian missionaries brought patriarchy and artificial, destructive hierarchy, placing a man above the animal and plant kingdom.
Djamila Ribeiro’s fascinating essay is on exu - an orixá (god) in the Camdomblé religion of Brazil, brought by Yoruba enslaved people of Nigeria to Brazil. Exu represents rewriting of the past and reinvention of life for the future. Ribeiro discusses religious intolerance and racism that exists nowadays in Brazil, angry at the erasure of the connection with ancestral wisdom, again forced upon people by white Christians.
These stories, essays, reflections are a terrific depiction of dignity and spiritual wealth which have not been destroyed despite colonisers’ efforts and the looting track of Western settlers.
There is bitterness in some essays and blunt honesty I appreciate so much, like in Gabriela Cabezón Cámara’s essay on the destruction of the land of the Wichí community of Argentina: “The West, that inhumane and foul factory that reproduces itself and kills everything else, seems to be the absolute winner”- writing about favouring profits and worshipping capitalist flawed practices by white land ‘owners’ over the rights of Indigenous people to their own land.
I appreciate the essay by Lina Meruane on facial expressions of masks with prominent lips and hanging out tongues portraying fatigue due to slave labour of Afro-Bolivian and generally Indigenous and Afro-descendant population of Latin America.
Dolores Reyes’ story is a beautiful representation of ecofeminism and matriarchal culture that existed in Ecuador (and also many other parts of Latin America) before Christian missionaries brought patriarchy and artificial, destructive hierarchy, placing a man above the animal and plant kingdom.
Djamila Ribeiro’s fascinating essay is on exu - an orixá (god) in the Camdomblé religion of Brazil, brought by Yoruba enslaved people of Nigeria to Brazil. Exu represents rewriting of the past and reinvention of life for the future. Ribeiro discusses religious intolerance and racism that exists nowadays in Brazil, angry at the erasure of the connection with ancestral wisdom, again forced upon people by white Christians.
These stories, essays, reflections are a terrific depiction of dignity and spiritual wealth which have not been destroyed despite colonisers’ efforts and the looting track of Western settlers.
November 13, 2022
"Untold Microcosms" is a beautifully curated selection of essays on the Central and South American collection of artifacts in the British Museum. It's a well-known fact in colonialist history that the British-led empire and its ilk unethically 'source' the artifacts in their museum from the countries and indigenous people they have colonized. To date, this open secret still goes unrecognized by the current countries benefiting from this exploitation of other people's cultures. Needless to say, no attempt at apologies or reparations can be expected by these colonizers, judging by the continuous silence on the issue.
Hence, this collection of essays from ten Latin American authors attempts to reclaim what has been taken by infusing their own interpretation of these lost and stolen objects in essays on various subjects and themes. From ceramic bowls to sculptures to feather headdresses acquired from all over America, there's always something interesting to discover within these pages. My personal favorites are "The Wichí Community" (on the Wichí community's continual fight for survival amidst more loss of the nature they depend on), "Tongues Hanging Out" (on the similarities of capitalism and slave labor), and "In The Land of Weeping Trees" (on the gradual loss of the old ways as modernity creeps in), though of course all of them require thorough reading in order to appreciate the full scale of the exploitation and loss of heritage.
This definitely ranks amongst my favorite books published by Charco Press; highly recommended!
Hence, this collection of essays from ten Latin American authors attempts to reclaim what has been taken by infusing their own interpretation of these lost and stolen objects in essays on various subjects and themes. From ceramic bowls to sculptures to feather headdresses acquired from all over America, there's always something interesting to discover within these pages. My personal favorites are "The Wichí Community" (on the Wichí community's continual fight for survival amidst more loss of the nature they depend on), "Tongues Hanging Out" (on the similarities of capitalism and slave labor), and "In The Land of Weeping Trees" (on the gradual loss of the old ways as modernity creeps in), though of course all of them require thorough reading in order to appreciate the full scale of the exploitation and loss of heritage.
This definitely ranks amongst my favorite books published by Charco Press; highly recommended!
February 12, 2023
Using various literary genres, a number of Latin American writers reflect on the British Museum's Americas collection. Sometimes surrealist, sometimes essayistic, the stories are comprehensible in size, but avoid "dumbing down" their contemplations on coloniality past, present and future. The reader is immersed in vignettes of indigenous cultures, which offers an alternative for the quick glances and strolls past artifacts that remain largely unexplained.
I am not convinced of the superfluity of museums after reading this book, but it has revealed their flaws. Moreover, it has confirmed what I already knew: (translated) literature is a great way to discover the world, on both sides of the Atlantic.
I am not convinced of the superfluity of museums after reading this book, but it has revealed their flaws. Moreover, it has confirmed what I already knew: (translated) literature is a great way to discover the world, on both sides of the Atlantic.
September 14, 2024
A while ago, a TV anchor said "British museums are warehouse of loot". A warehouse that encompasses thousands of items from around the world by archeologists who grabbed what they found or hoodwinked locals into selling to them. If we want to see some of the iconic cultural and historical artifact from our culture, our country, one must take a long flight and spend thousands to get a peek. Its heartbreaking.
In Untold Microcosms a group of authors come together, pick an artifact and provide a very interesting commentary. There are stories, histories and cultures discussed. For some, the context had been long lost only now the voices gaining strength to tell the rest of the world what they mean, what the complex system the cultures one had to show, to curate their lives and pass on to the next generation. Every entry in this book gives an individual take on the artifact and how they perceive the culture that's long lost yet the shades of it still remain under the mask of modern day imperialism, racism and erasure of culture.
Marvelous read.
In Untold Microcosms a group of authors come together, pick an artifact and provide a very interesting commentary. There are stories, histories and cultures discussed. For some, the context had been long lost only now the voices gaining strength to tell the rest of the world what they mean, what the complex system the cultures one had to show, to curate their lives and pass on to the next generation. Every entry in this book gives an individual take on the artifact and how they perceive the culture that's long lost yet the shades of it still remain under the mask of modern day imperialism, racism and erasure of culture.
Marvelous read.
November 12, 2022
A significant and inspirational book. Untold Microcosms is a marvellous collection of stories inspired by various Latin American objects in the British Museum.
10 Latin American writers told their unique perspectives using fiction and personal stories, discussing Latin American cultural aspects of the Indigenous peoples and, most importantly, bringing voices and identity to it.
Most of the objects embody and represent the history, memory, and experiences of their past selves, and it’s our jobs to learn and tell the stories that most of us don’t know. It is a sad reminder of what has been lost and what has actually happened to indigenous peoples, particularly when everything has been forgotten and exploited.
The tone of the book was somehow tinged with sadness, a forlorn figure stood by, waiting for its story to be told. Overall, it’s hopeful, to educate our former selves to appreciate what we have and conserve and preserve it while we can.
In a way, it reminds me of our own Orang Asli in Malaysia, where we should actually re-evaluate and cherish indigenous nature and culture before they are lost forever.
Thank you Charco Press for the review copy. Appreciate it. ☺️
10 Latin American writers told their unique perspectives using fiction and personal stories, discussing Latin American cultural aspects of the Indigenous peoples and, most importantly, bringing voices and identity to it.
Most of the objects embody and represent the history, memory, and experiences of their past selves, and it’s our jobs to learn and tell the stories that most of us don’t know. It is a sad reminder of what has been lost and what has actually happened to indigenous peoples, particularly when everything has been forgotten and exploited.
The tone of the book was somehow tinged with sadness, a forlorn figure stood by, waiting for its story to be told. Overall, it’s hopeful, to educate our former selves to appreciate what we have and conserve and preserve it while we can.
In a way, it reminds me of our own Orang Asli in Malaysia, where we should actually re-evaluate and cherish indigenous nature and culture before they are lost forever.
Thank you Charco Press for the review copy. Appreciate it. ☺️
September 13, 2022
Este libro propone un gran ejercicio creativo. Tomar objetos que han sido sacados de su contexto y con poca información para que los autores les den uno nuevo de acuerdo a sus propias historias e intereses, hace que el lector se cuestione muchas cosas empezando por la delgada línea entre la realidad y la ficción
July 29, 2023
An important book about colonialism and what it took away from the places it affected. Very diverse texts, good contextualisation, very informative, yet I had a hard time getting into the stories despite the added information up front. Still an important read. And (not only) the British Museum should give stuff back. 4 stars
September 13, 2022
Este libro hace lo que pocas veces hacemos, que es cuestionarnos sobre el origen de las piezas que vemos en museos y del rol del museo en la extracción de esos objetos para su consumo. Los autores cuentan cada uno desde su estilo y desde sus vivencias historias que nos remiten a lo mismo, ¿cuál es el rol de los museos? y ¿deberían seguir existiendo en el formato que conocemos hoy?. Porque al final, como ellos mencionan cuando sacan a un objeto de su contexto, deja de contar la historia dentro de la que se creo; deja de contar también, la violencia con la que se extrajo de muchas de estas comunidades, y se vuelve una muestra de un lugar exótico, puesto ahí (si es que siquiera llega a ser expuesto) sólo para su contemplación superficial.
July 28, 2024
A collection of pieces by ten Latin American writers inspired by items in the British Museum’s Central and South American Collection which comprises some 62,000 objects.
I enjoyed this, but it wasn’t quite what I was expecting - I clearly read the blurb wrong, because I thought it was going to be essays in response to items in the collection, and I was definitely expecting ten essays asking why the heck these items are held by the British Museum and the questionable ways they were probably acquired (perfectly reasonable questions by the way).
But this is actually an intriguing set of short stories and essays that each use an object within the museum’s collection as a jumping off point - some are more directly tied to their chosen object than others. It’s a brilliant idea and a very good read - I particularly enjoyed the curators’ introductions to each piece which provide some context, though I do wish the object photographs were in colour. As with any collection, I enjoyed some pieces more than others, but it was fascinating to see which object each author chose and where they went with it.
Whilst it wasn’t the critical take-down I expected (though there are some veiled references), taken together the essays and stories do prompt interesting questions about the storytelling around objects in museums, objects shown out of context and interpreting the past when there are significant gaps in the information about objects.
An enjoyable and varied collection of essays and short stories, well worth a read if you have any interest in museums and the stories they tell.
September 6, 2023
An interesting collection of fictional and personal stories and essays inspired by the artefacts in the Central and South American collection at the British Museum, written in Spanish by Latin American writers, and translated into English.
Each chapter focuses on one item from one group of artefacts (discovered in the same region or same types of items). It starts off with the museum's curator's one-page note on the very brief background of the piece and a short comment on what the following text is going to be. I think it would be helpful to also give the actual description on the display card or archive in the Museum, to show how much attention the Museum gave to the collection initially.
My favourite chapters are:
- Lina Meruane (trans. Megan McDowell): Tongues Hanging Out [a Bolivian mask depicting moreno dance]
- Dolores Reyes (trans. Frances Riddle): The Names of the Trees [A ceramic head 500BCE-500CE in Manta, Manabí, Ecuador]
Each chapter focuses on one item from one group of artefacts (discovered in the same region or same types of items). It starts off with the museum's curator's one-page note on the very brief background of the piece and a short comment on what the following text is going to be. I think it would be helpful to also give the actual description on the display card or archive in the Museum, to show how much attention the Museum gave to the collection initially.
My favourite chapters are:
- Lina Meruane (trans. Megan McDowell): Tongues Hanging Out [a Bolivian mask depicting moreno dance]
- Dolores Reyes (trans. Frances Riddle): The Names of the Trees [A ceramic head 500BCE-500CE in Manta, Manabí, Ecuador]
February 4, 2024
This really wasn’t bad, I just think that I would have enjoyed it much more if it was spoken word/maybe the translation just made it feel not as deep? I can’t pinpoint it exactly, but I just felt like something was missing.
September 22, 2023
Such an amazing book. I want to learn more about World history like this
April 10, 2024
Really engaging novel of Latin American authors exploring the Central and South American collection at the British Museum and writing a short story based on objects they are interested in
March 8, 2023
Buen experimento narrativo. Veo la relación entre literatura y etnografía en parte de los relatos que tratan de añadir un relato a objetos resguardados por el Museo Británico y que ni siquiera alcanzaron a formar parte de su colección permanente. Esos relatos vuelven a poner en circulación el tiempo del cual los objetos son testimonio, y buscan acortar el espacio: el lugar en el que permanencen (Londres, capital del imperio) y el lugar al que pertenecen (diversos puntos de la geografía latinoamericana, aplastados y sometidos por el imperialismo). Esta paradoja no siempre se logra salvar en forma de reflexión, pero todos los relatos lo intentan a partir de la identidad personal y las narrativas autobiográficas de les autores.
October 11, 2022
Qué importante son las lecturas de este tipo, cuestionar nuestro pasado y cómo la colonización sigue presente en nuestro día a día y cómo hay heridas sociales que no sana. Le devuelve el significado y la vida a algunos objetos latinoamericanos del museo británico que fueron arrebatados mayormente a través de violencia de sus contextos.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews