Potslom

Potslom, a collection of short stories published on the occasion of the Dual Year Mexico-Germany 2016-2017, is intended to draw the reader’s attention to Mexico’s linguistic and literary richness. The twelve stories selected for this book have translated from the original languages, Maya, Mayo, Mazateco, Mexicano, Purépecha, Tepehuano, Triqui, Tsotsil, and Zoque, into Spanish, German and English.

The authors, whose works are included in Potslom, exemplify the complex and multifaceted literature written in indigenous languages. Readers can explore different narrative forms and at the same time are invited to become familiar with and gain insight into the variety of mindsets, beliefs, languages, and cultural expressions of the Mexican people.

“Through the twelve narratives included in Potslom, we recreate ourselves in an ambience of plastic descriptions, drifting between real events and imaginary ones”.
– Sandra Sabanero, Mexican writer.

Contents

  1. Foreword,
    Sandra Sabanero
  2. Reflections on the reading of indigenous tales,
    Dra. Carmen Gómez Mont, Genaro Bautista
  3. Achá Turí,
    María Magdalena Estrada Bacilio (Original native tongue: Purépecha)
  4. Animals and the Yoreme Festivity,
    Joaquín Valenzuela Bacasegua (Original native tongue: Mayo)
  5. Ódame Children’s Stories,
    Alejandro Rivas Vega (Original native tongue: Tepehuán)
  6. The Guajolote,
    Nicolás Catalán Sebastián (Original native tongue: Mexican)
  7. The Rider,
    Filogonio Velasco Casimiro (Original native tongue: Mazatecan)
  8. The Great-uncle and His Friend the Dog,
    Eugenio Camarillo López (Original native tongue: Trique)
  9. The Indian’s Xaayak’ (The Blister in the Indian’s Mouth),
    Ana Patricia Martínez Huchim (Original native tongue: Mayan)
  10. The Little Turkey,
    Felipe J. Castillo Tzec (Original native tongue: Mayan)
  11. Memory of a Heartless Volcano,
    Roberto Lorenzo Rueda (Original native tongue: Zoquean)
  12. Potslom,
    José Alfredo López Jiménez (Original native tongue: Tsotsil)
  13. Tekuisira,
    Martín Jacinto Meza (Original native tongue: Mexican)
  14. Cotton Loom,
    Eugenio Camarillo López (Original native tongue: Trique)
  15. Infographics

Contributors

  • Eugenio Camarillo López

    Triqui from San Miguel Copala, Santiago Juxtlahuaca, Oaxaca. A university student from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) engineering department in Mexico City, he has recently published an audiobook in Triqui in cooperation with the university: "Culebra, voz de colores."

  • Felipe J. Castillo Tzec

    Maya from Dzan, Dzan, Yucatán. Works in the Institute for the Development of the Maya Culture (Indemaya) and has written books on medicine, the use of language, and tales.

  • Nicolás Catalán Sebastián

    Náhuatl from Huiziltepec, Eduardo Neri, Guerrero. Host of the radio program "Ixkaki" broadcast by Radio & Television Guerrero (RTG).

  • María Magdalena Estrada Bacilio

    Purépecha from the Turícuaro indigenous community, Nahuatzen, Michoacán. Intercultural communications student at Michoacán's Indigenous Intercultural University.

  • Martín Jacinto Meza

    Náhuatl from Atzacoaloya, Chilapa de Álvarez, Guerrero. Linguistics teacher at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies in Social Anthropology (CIESAS) and professor at the Intercultural University of Huehuetla, Puebla.

  • José Alfredo López Jiménez

    Maya Tsotsil from Romerillo, Chamula, Chiapas. Linguistics teacher at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies in Social Anthropology (CIESAS).

  • Roberto Lorenzo Rueda

    Zoque from Tectuapan, Pichucalco, Chiapas. Graduate in management and promotion of the arts at the Chiapas University of Arts and Sciences (UNICACH)

  • Ana Patricia Martínez Huchim

    Maya from Tizimín, Tizimín, Yucatán. Writer and translator of poetry and tales in Maya; graduate in Anthropological Science, specialized in linguistics and literature. National Award for Indigenous Literature Endino Jiménez (2005), for the work U k’á jsajil u ts u’ noj k’áax (Tales from the heart of the mountain).

  • Alejandro Rivas Vega

    Tepehuano from Baborigame, Guadalupe and Calvo, Chihuahua. Indigenous teacher and translator of indigenous languages.

  • Joaquín Valenzuela Bacasegua

    Yoreme from the La Constancia community, El Fuerte, Sinaloa. Communal and spiritual leader.

  • Filogonio Velasco Casimiro

    Mazateco from Mazatlán Villa de Flores, Oaxaca. Indigenous art and painting specialist.

  • Illustrations

    Manuel Cabrera was born in Mexico City in 1986. He studied graphic design at the Universidad Iberoamericana, architecture at Westhill University, and completed a master's degree in public image at Colegio de Imagen Pública. He currently works for the Ten Group as a lifestyle manager for SwissCard AMEX Centurion and as a freelance designer and illustrator.

Data sheet

  • Title
    Potslom
  • Publisher
    Álamos (Berlin, Germany)
  • Category
    Short Stories
  • ISBN
    978-3-9818162-1-1
  • Author
    Multiple authors
  • Illustrations
    Manuel Cabrera
  • Languages
    Spanish, German, English
  • Format
    12 x 17cm
  • Dimensions
    12.5 x 17 x 2.5cm
  • Material
    Cover 280 g/m2 Algro Design
    Inner pages 115 g/m2 Arctic Volume White
    Endpaper 115 g/m2 Surbalin, smooth
  • Weight
    460.5g
  • Pages
    362 (inner Pages)
    4 ( endpaper)