Nicolás Guillén honored in China with a bust and a Mandarin poetry anthology

April 20, 2026

Nicolás Guillén was honored in a new cultural tribute linking Cuba and China when a bust of the Cuban National Poet was unveiled at the House of Poets of Baimiao in Sichuan province. The ceremony took place during the 2nd Daliangshan Poetic Journey Poetry Festival, where an anthology of his work translated into Mandarin was also presented.

Granma, citing information from Cuba's Ministry of Culture, reported that the tribute brought together writers and cultural figures who highlighted Guillén's role as a bridge between Cuban poetry, Latin America, and Asia. Members of the Cuban delegation attending the festival included poets Alex Pausides and Yasef Ananda, along with international relations director Geober Guibert Pardo.

The anthology All the Flowers of April, translated by Zhao Zhenjiang in collaboration with Pausides, introduced Chinese readers to a representative selection of Guillén's work. The recognition underscores the international reach of his literary legacy and his enduring place among the major voices of 20th-century poetry.