The New Latin American Gothic: Horror, Gender & Reality
Date: Saturday 03 October 2026
Time: 13.00 - 16.00
Venue: Crescent Arts Center, Belfast
Price: 35 £35 | £30
Tutor: Luciana De Mello
Book NowWhat makes horror from Latin America hit closer to home? Unlike traditional Gothic literature born in dark European castles, contemporary Latin American Gothic finds its terror in real life, where ghosts, folklore, and body horror intertwine with gender violence, political trauma, and social precarity.
In this workshop, you will explore how a powerhouse wave of women writers is redefining the boundaries of horror and speculative fiction. Through the terrifying and brilliant works of Mariana Enriquez, Mónica Ojeda, María Fernanda Ampuero, Samanta Schweblin, and Dolores Reyes, you will trace the evolution of the genre past and present. Along with fellow students, you will examine how these authors turn personal and systemic nightmares into compelling art, and why this unique literary tradition stands apart from any other.
Meet the Tutor
Luciana De Mello is a writer, scriptwriter, and Afro-indigenous cultural journalist born in Argentina. She is the author of the novel Mandinga and Ninguna calle termina en la esquina, a nonfiction book about the creative writing workshop she founded in one of the largest prisons in Buenos Aires. She has been writing about literature, feminisms and queer culture for the Argentinian newspaper Página 12 for nearly 20 years. She is also part of Mandacarú, a publishing house that translates cis and trans Brazilian women writers of African descent into Spanish. Her novel Mandinga will be published in Spain in October 2025 by Penguin Random House.
She is currently finishing her second novel and working with contemporary dancer Lola Vera on a research project on dance and writing. Luciana has been based in Belfast since 2022.
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