Books
In Cross-Cultural Milestone, Cuban Poet and Editor Alex Pausides Receives 2023 Mundus Artium Prize from U.S. Delegation
According to Mundus Artium journal, the award, given annually for lifetime achievement in literature, honors Pausides for his “acclaimed, adventurous writing, his cultivation of progressive world literary communities, and his work as an ambassador for Cuba’s rich and vibrant culture.”
The Mundus Artium Prize award presentation, held at Havana’s Dulce María Loynaz Cultural Center, included opening remarks by Karel Keyva, president of the center’s Poetry Section, words of thanks from Pausides, and a speech by Mundus Artium director and co-editor Gjeke Marinaj, PhD, who traveled from Dallas to Havana to award the prize.
The ceremony in Havana also featured panelists Waldo Leyva, Nancy Morejón, Virgilio López Lemus, Ricardo Alberto Pérez and Julio César Sánchez, leading participants in Cuban literary life, who discussed and read from Pausides’ work. Representatives of Cuba’s national cultural traditions also performed during the event.
Marinaj noted that the decision to award the Mundus Artium Prize to Pausides takes into account “the profound impact he has had on the lives of countless individuals. His dedication to promoting understanding, unity and cultural exchange serves as an inspiration to us all.”
Cuba’s Minister of Culture Alpidio Alonso Grau, present for the occasion, noted, “Alex Pausides is an important Cuban poet and this is an important event; that’s why I’m attending the Mundus Artium Prize for literature ceremony.”
Published by Dallas-based Mundus Artium Press, Mundus Artium: The Journal of International Letters and the Arts is a literary journal founded by translation studies pioneer Dr. Rainer Schulte in 1967 and currently being relaunched by Dr. Marinaj and the journal’s co-editor, Dr. Frederick Turner.
Pausides’ receipt of the Mundus Artium Prize continues the notable history of literary recognition for the poet and editor. In Cuba, Pausides has won the Abril Award, the Gaceta de Cuba Prize, the Critic’s Award, and the Samuel Feijoo Award from the Economic Society of Friends of the Country. Beyond his native island, he has previously received the Vladimir Mayakovsky Award and the Mihai Eminescu Medal. Cuba has also given him the Replica of the Mambi Machete used by Generalissimo Maximo Gomez, a major award for Cuban intellectuals, as well as the Order of Juan Marinello and a special distinction for his contribution to national culture.
A prolific author, Pausides has also dedicated much of his life to furthering the literary interests of others. He is a longtime contributor to the work of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, or UNEAC, one of his country’s top cultural groups. After serving for more than a decade and a half as UNEAC’s vice president, in 2014 he became the organization’s president, a post he still holds. He is also the founder and leader of the literary organization and publisher Colección SurEditores — which celebrates its 30-year anniversary this year. He directs the CubaPoesia Cultural Center for reading and creative writing, and is also the general coordinator of the Havana International Poetry Festival — which he founded — and has helped judge some of the most important Cuban literary prizes.
The poet has been a director of El Caimán Barbudo, one of Cuba’s oldest monthly cultural reviews. Reflecting his concern for fostering culture in new generations, he also helped establish Cuba’s Hermanos Saíz Association of Young Writers and Artists, which in 2021 celebrated its 35th anniversary.
Complementing his cultural outreach in his own nation, Pausides has created and supported forums for literary internationalism, including the writers network Poets in Defense of Humanity and the organization World Poetry Movement. An active participant in literary events, conferences and symposiums both in and beyond Cuba, Pausides has lectured and given readings at universities and poetry festivals throughout Latin America, as well as in Europe and Asia.
Since Pausides’ literary emergence in the 1970s, his many publications have included Ah mundo amor mío (Ah World My Love); Aquí campeo a lo idílico (Here I Champion the Idyllic); Malo de magia (Bad Magic); Palabras a la innombrable (Words to the Nameless); Cuaderno del artista adolescente (Notebook of an Adolescent Artist); Habitante del viento (Inhabitant of the Wind); La casa del hombre (The House of Man); La Tinta del Alcatraz (The Ink of Alcatraz); Llaman desde algún sitio feliz (They Call from Somewhere Happy); Elogio dell´utopia (In Praise of Utopia); Pequeña gloria (Little Glory); Canción de Orfeo (Song of Orpheus); La extensión de la inocencia (The Extent of Innocene); Caligrafías (Calligraphy); Arte arcaico (Archaic Art) and other works. His poems have been translated into more than a dozen languages.
Pausides has also engaged in interdisciplinary collaborations with artists from various fields — musicians, painters and filmmakers — producing works that celebrate Cuba’s heritage, as do his own.
Press Update For Studio CarryOnHarry
Find Holiday Deals Flights Attractions and Hotels !
Get Interviewed
For Interviews At Studio CarryOnHarry Online Submission Form Click Here
Booking.com
Related Posts:
Books
Cary Elwes, Gates McFadden, Walter Koenig, Manny Jacinto Added to FAN EXPO Portland Celebrity Lineup
Elwes gained wide acclaim for his portrayal of “Wesley” in the 1987 classic The Princess Bride and reached new audiences by headlining the Mel Brooks spoof Robin Hood: Men in Tights and later Saw. He also recently appeared in the Tom Cruise features Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One and Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning and portrays “Mayor Larry Kline” in Stranger Things 3.
McFadden had the key role of “Beverly Crusher” in TNG, reprising the role in Picard, Prodigy and other iterations of the franchise. She is also a stage actress, choreographer, director, teacher, and was the host of more than 300 episodes of the podcast “Gates McFadden InvestiGates: Who Do You Think You Are?”
Koenig is best known for his recurring television portrayals both of the hated, intensely driven “Alfred Bester” (Babylon 5) and the likable, perpetually cheerful “Pavel Chekov” (Star Trek). Koenig’s film work includes the first seven Star Trek feature films, for which he earned two Saturn Award Best Supporting Actor nominations. His many other films have been independent projects with challenging roles.
Jacinto played “Jason Mendoza” on the full four-season run of The Good Place (2016-20) and later appeared as “Lt. Fritz Avalone” in the blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. Also among his more than 50 TV and film credits are runs on the Hulu series Nine Perfect Strangers and the animated series Hailey’s on It!
Peggy, earning the title of “Britain’s Ugliest Dog” in a national competition there, has gone on to stardom as “Dogpool” in the Marvel Universe in Deadpool & Wolverine. A portion of proceeds from her appearance at FAN EXPO Portland will support a local charity in the Pacific Northwest.
The five bolster an already impressive FAN EXPO Portland celebrity roster that includes:
• The Lord of the Rings headliners Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan
• Mike Colter (Luke Cage, Men in Black³)
• Josh Holloway (Lost, Yellowstone)
• Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
• Harry Potter duo of Matthew Lewis and Bonnie Wright
• Judith Hoag (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Armageddon)
• Robbie Rist (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Brady Bunch)
• Ernie Reyes Jr. (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)
• Brian Tochi (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Revenge of the Nerds)
• Kenn Scott (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, director/Adventures of Johnny Tao)
• François Chau (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Lost)
• Thomas Lennon (Reno 911!, American Dad)
• Cedric Yarbrough (Reno 911!, The Goldbergs)
• My Hero Academia standouts Eric Vale, David Matranga, J. Michael Tatum, Brandon McInnis and Clifford Chapin
• Hazbin Hotel regulars Christian Borle, Joel Perez and Krystina Alabado
More FAN EXPO Portland guest announcements will follow from the worlds of film, television, streaming, art, literature, gaming, cosplay, anime, animation and more in the coming weeks.
Adult, Youth and Child Single-Day Tickets, Three-Day Passes, Family passes, and Ultimate and VIP Packages for FAN EXPO Portland are available now at www.fanexpoportland.com. Advance pricing is available until January 1.
Portland is the second event on the 2026 FAN EXPO HQ calendar; the full schedule is available at fanexpohq.com/home/events.
About FAN EXPO HQ
FAN EXPO HQ is the largest comic con producer in the world. Collectively it hosts over one million fans annually at FAN EXPO New Orleans, FAN EXPO Portland, FAN EXPO Vancouver, FAN EXPO Cleveland, MEGACON Orlando, Toronto Comicon, CALGARY EXPO, FAN EXPO Denver, FAN EXPO Philadelphia, FAN EXPO Boston, FAN EXPO Chicago, FAN EXPO Canada, FAN EXPO Dallas, VIDCON Anaheim, EDMONTON EXPO, Dallas FAN FESTIVAL and FAN EXPO San Francisco. The latest schedule of events is available on the website, along with up-to-date ticket information. Discover. Celebrate. Belong.
Press Update For Studio CarryOnHarry
Find Holiday Deals Flights Attractions and Hotels !
Get Interviewed
Save on Travel with Trip.com (ENG)
For Interviews At Studio CarryOnHarry Online Submission Form Click Here
Books
Nashville Lavender Pioneer Gigi de Lugo Secures Majority Ownership of Permanent Farm in Joelton, Tennessee
Lloyd Traven, President of Peace Tree Farm, the original breeder of these global-standard varieties, praises de Lugo’s early foresight and influence:
“Over a period of the last decade, Gigi has been highlighting our introductions that have become the Gold Standard for lavender worldwide, and she was an early proponent because she saw the extra value of these introductions… Once she knew the plants were different and far superior, she committed to making the right choice for her customers. She can now proudly say that she has started over 30 new farms on their journey across an area ranging from Virginia through to Iowa!”
From its original rented fields in Whites Creek—Gigi’s Lavender, was celebrated by “Garden & Gun” magazine as one of the South’s top lavender destinations—the licensed nursery has supplied thousands of Peace Tree-bred plants throughout Tennessee and beyond. In 2019, de Lugo founded “The Lavender Exchange (TLx),” an exclusive membership alliance offering ongoing technical support, resource sharing, cooperative marketing, and agritourism promotion to farms that source their plants exclusively from Gigi’s Nursery.
Traven also highlights the impact of this network: “Gigi also knows the great importance and value of marketing with expression of clear benefits and a clear message. She created the Lavender Exchange with this in mind—to provide an outlet for cooperative marketing and sharing of equipment and machinery and product ideas.”
This strengthened ownership ensures continuity for de Lugo’s research, educational outreach, and product innovation at the Joelton location, including her newest Patent Pending offering, “ZWave Mg”—a topical magnesium spray infused with pure Phenomenal lavender hydrosol steam-distilled exclusively from flowers grown by TLx member farms. Designed for relaxation, muscle relief, and better sleep, ZWave Mg showcases the wellness potential of Southern-grown lavender.
“This milestone gives us the stability and security to continue investing in our Southern lavender research, development, product distribution, and growing community of the farms we support through The Lavender Exchange (TLx),” said Gigi de Lugo. “From the beginning I set out to prove lavender could become a viable cash crop for Tennessee and Southern farms—not only a pretty agritourism field, but a real harvestable commodity built on Phenomenal®. It took courageous pioneers willing to bet on the unproven and stay the course with me. These years, alongside the extraordinary farmers of our TLx family, have been one of the greatest adventures of my life.”
Experience the pure essence of Southern lavender: Gigi’s premium products, including the breakthrough ZWave Mg, are available exclusively through her website, and retail partners across Tennessee. Gigi is in discussion with a Nashville based manufacturer to expand her ZWave Mg production capacity for 2026.
About Gigi’s Lavender Nursery & Farm
Gigi’s Lavender Nursery & Farm is a Tennessee-licensed grower and an exclusive Southeast source for Peace Tree Farm’s Phenomenal®, Sensational!®, Exceptional!®, Inspirational!® lavender cultivars. It serves as headquarters for The Lavender Exchange (TLx), a premier network advancing lavender agriculture and agritourism across the South and Midwest.
Press Update For Studio CarryOnHarry
Find Holiday Deals Flights Attractions and Hotels !
Get Interviewed
Save on Travel with Trip.com (ENG)
For Interviews At Studio CarryOnHarry Online Submission Form Click Here
-
Editor's Choice3 months ago
Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone Reunite for New Romantic Comedy
-
Editor's Choice9 months ago
Review: Rekhachithram (2025) – A Masterful Blend of Mystery and Redemption
-
People's Choice5 months agoBollywood in August 2025: A Landscape of Sequels, Social Commentary, and Star Power
-
Authors and Artists4 years agoCreate Your Miraculous Life: It’s Never Too Late Wendy L. Darling