About this Event
VLACC is delighted to present a special edition of our Latin American Reading Group, in partnership with the Vancouver Writers Fest and as part of Latin Expressions 2026, featuring acclaimed Mexican writer Valeria Luiselli.
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026Time: 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: Dockside Lounge (Located inside Granville Island Hotel - 1253 Johnston St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R8)
FREE Event + Donation Options. Limited seating. Registration is required.
One of the most original and internationally recognized voices in contemporary literature, Luiselli writes fluidly across fiction, essay, memoir, and documentary forms, examining migration, displacement, language, borders, and belonging with extraordinary insight and humanity.
For this special Reading Group, Luiselli has selected the essay “Border” from Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions. Drawing from her experience working as an interpreter for undocumented Latin American children facing the U.S. immigration system, the book is structured around the forty questions used to gather their stories for legal proceedings. The reading invites us to consider what happens when complicated lives and experiences must be translated into questions, answers, categories, and official narratives.
The conversation will be moderated by Jorge Amigo, Head of Cultural Programming at the Vancouver Public Library and a member of VLACC’s Programming Advisory Committee. A longtime reader of Luiselli’s work, Jorge brings extensive experience curating and moderating literary and public conversations.
This intimate gathering will offer participants the opportunity to discuss the selected text together and hear directly from Luiselli about her writing, the ideas behind the essay, and the questions it continues to raise.
The reading and discussion will be in English.
No previous knowledge of Valeria Luiselli’s work, or of Latin American literature and culture, is required. Everyone is welcome.
Light refreshments will be provided. Drinks and additional food will be available for purchase at Dockside.
Please click on this link to access the essay and read it before the event:
About the Author
Valeria Luiselli is the acclaimed author of Tell Me How It Ends and the international bestseller Lost Children Archive. She is the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius Grant” and the winner of two Los Angeles Times Book Prizes, an American Book Award, the Folio Prize, and the 2021 International Dublin Literary Award. She lives in New York City.
About the Facilitator
Jorge Amigo grew up in Mexico City and has lived in Canada since 2007. He is Head of Cultural Programming for the Vancouver Public Library (since 2020). He previously worked at the Toronto Public Library and Canada’s National Observer. Jorge has served on the boards of the PuSh Festival and as a programming advisor for the Vancouver Latin American Cultural Centre. He is currently on the boards of Indian Summer Arts Society, Upstart & Crow, and Electric Theatre Company. Jorge also sits on the City of Vancouver’s Arts & Culture Advisory Committee.
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Registration Note: Space is limited, so if you register but can no longer attend, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer your spot to someone else. You can contact us at [email protected]. Thank you for helping us make this free community event accessible to as many people as possible!
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Please note that we will photograph and film this event for internal documentation and promotional purposes. If you do not wish to appear in any photos or recordings, please let us know when you arrive.
In partnership with the Vancouver International Writers Fest
Event venue & nearby stays
Dockside Lounge, 1253 Johnston St, Vancouver, Canada
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