Mexican institutions honor women's contributions to literary history

The State of Mexico International Book Fair (FILEM) 2026 has honored writer, philologist, and researcher Leticia Romero Chumacero for her academic work in reclaiming literature written by women. Romero Chumacero’s research focuses on recovering and analyzing the works of female authors across different eras while studying the systemic barriers they faced regarding publication and recognition.

In a related initiative, the Institute for Bibliographic Research of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the General Archive of the Nation (AGN) launched a virtual exhibition titled ‘Women in the World of Books in Mexico.’ The exhibition highlights female participation in the production, circulation, and preservation of knowledge, ranging from pre-Hispanic codices to contemporary publishing.

Featured figures in the exhibition include Ix Uh Chan, a Maya noblewoman and guardian of codices; colonial-era printers and binders; Esperanza Velázquez Bringas, the first female director of the National Library of Mexico; and contemporary authors such as Natalia Toledo and Marisol Ceh Moo.