Latin American Short Stories Reading Group with Tamara Mitchell

VLACC is pleased to present the March session of our Latin American Short Stories Reading Group, featuring Professor Tamara Mitchell from the University of British Columbia.

This session will explore two compelling and thought-provoking short stories:

1. “The Crazy Woman and the Story of the Crime” by Ricardo Piglia (1975, Argentina)
2. “Seed” by Iliana Vargas (2021, Mexico)

Ricardo Piglia’s “The Crazy Woman and the Story of the Crime” blends detective fiction with political critique, inviting readers to question truth, narrative authority, and the hidden structures behind violence and power. In contrast, Iliana Vargas’s “Seed” offers a contemporary meditation on the body, desire, and transformation, unfolding through an intimate and unsettling narrative voice. Together, these stories open a rich conversation across generations about storytelling, gender, memory, and the politics of interpretation in Latin American literature.

This gathering offers a welcoming space for thoughtful discussion, collective reflection, and connection through literature. No prior knowledge of Latin American literature is required.

The discussion will take place in English, and both English translations and the original Spanish versions will be provided. Please make sure to read the stories in advance of the session.

Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Time: 6:30 to 8:00 pm
Location: Conference Room at Britannia Community Services Centre (1661 Napier St, Vancouver, BC V5L 4X4).

Access the readings here:

About the Facilitator

Tamara Mitchell is an Assistant Professor of Spanish at the University of British Columbia, where she teaches Latin American literatures and cultures. Her book, Novel Distortions: Postnationalism and Literary Form in Mexico and Central America, will be published with the University of Pittsburgh Press in September 2026. Tamara's current research draws on cultural sound studies to question how sound and listening are wielded in Mexican literary and cultural expression as a means of responding to the violence of advanced capitalism, including effects on both human and non-human beings and world(view)s.

Please note that this event will be photographed and filmed for internal documentation and promotional purposes. If you do not wish to appear in any photos or recordings, kindly inform us upon arrival.

With the support of Britannia Community and Services Centre.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher VLACC