by Taylor Follett
September 15 marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, a month-long celebration of Latinx histories and cultures. Today we’re looking at the rich diversity of Latinx titles available at the Library. (You can find national information about Hispanic Heritage Month here and events at and around UC Berkeley here.)
One rich resource for Latinx literature is the Latino Literature digital collection, which has thousands of digitized, full-text novels, poems, and plays written by over 400 authors in English and Spanish. Organized by both author and genre, the Latino Literature archive has at least 800 items that are not published anywhere else, making it a wonderful online resource for anybody interested in research—or just in reading.
If you’re looking for recently published novels, try:
Jennine Capó Crucet
Cristina Henríquez
Chantel Acevedo
More interested in lyricism and poetic prowess? Recent poetry collections will not disappoint:
Manuel Paul López
Vickie Vértiz
Rosa Alcalá
Don’t overlook one of the most inventive genres when looking for books to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Young adult fiction has some truly wonderful picks:
Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Erika L. Sánchez
Adam Silvera
Latinx memoir is another incredibly rich genre:
Esmeralda Santiago
Diane Guerrero with Michelle Burford
Myriam Gurba
Happy reading, and don’t forget to check out both the Latino Literature database and UC Berkeley’s events for Hispanic Heritage Month!