Exciting News!

You’ve heard us talking about it, obsessing over it, selling the souls of our first-born children for it, and now it’s finally here: 7Vientos’ second book, Saturnalia (Saturnario) by Rey Andújar! 

Now we just need your help to get it off of our hard drives, printed on paper, and placed snuggly into your outstretched arms!

Who's This Rey Guy, Anyway?

Rey Andújar is the guy in the video at the top of the page and an artist in the most complete sense of the word. For him, if there is a line of distinction between writing, speaking, and movement, it is an extremely blurry one. Andújar’s is a body in motion. Constantly. 

In his book, Saturnalia (Saturnario), as in his ever-evolving performance piece “Antípoda” (featured in the video above), the self is constantly moving from one place to the next, always in search of new routes, new paths, new ways forward. The search spans music and poetry, theatre and performance, and even immigration, expatriation, transvestitism, and drugs. In Andújar’s work, the body itself is the protagonist. It is a body that experiments and opens itself to all possibilities. It is one in constant search of its destiny in the rhythm of a Caribbean Sea that, like the ancient god Saturn, devours its own children.

Vision and Purpose

With its first project, 7V wanted to revive Manuel Abreu Adorno, a very nearly lost jewel of Latin American literature, through his book And the Hippies Came (Llegaron los hippies). Now, with its second book, rather than looking to the past, 7V will instead amplify a newer, current, modern literary voice. Rey Andújar’s writing has been recognized and praised by readers and critics alike. He’s a rising star in Caribbean literature and 7V is exited to be integral in bringing this unique voice to the wider audience that his work so rightly deserves.

7V is committed to continuing the tradition begun with its first book of making excellent literature available in a format that complements and accentuates the work within. Every aspect of the book is carefully selected. The paper, font, photos, cover, layout, binding, and more are carefully selected by 7V’s staff to ensure that the book is more than just words on a page, but a piece of art both inside and out. 7V’s books are intended not only to be interesting to read, but beautiful to hold and behold. You’ll be the secret envy of everyone on your train or bus as you turn the pages of Saturnalia (Saturnario) on your morning commute! They’ll be practically seething with admiration of your good taste.

Project and Scope

7V will publish the book in a limited-edition run of 1,000 hardcover copies. This edition, like 7V's first book, will be a "flip" version. It will read through to the middle in Spanish, flip it over, and it will read through to the middle in English. 

The money that you pledge will go towards the cost of printing the book itself. 

The book was written in Spanish by Rey Andújar, a Dominican writer and performer. Saturnario won the Premio Letras de Ultramar - New York in 2011, but has never before been translated into English. Rey's constant movement has most recently landed him in Chicago where he writes and works.

The fourteen stories were translated by Kolin Jordan, a writer and 7Vientos co-founder. He also provided the foreword to the book in English. He currently lives and works in Chicago.

The Spanish prologue was graciously provided by Edgardo Rodríguez Juliá, a Puerto Rican essayist and novelist. 

A Few Things to Note

1. If you contribute to this Kickstarter campaign at $25 or above, you are eligible for free shipping on our first book And the Hippies Came (Llegaron los hippies) on our website www.sietevientos.com!

2. International orders will incur an additional $10 for shipping.

3. This is really cool and you should definitely get it on this!

4. Check back often - we'll have updates, images, and maybe even more videos to share!