Librería Ireti: A Black Consciousness Bookstore in Havana

Librería Ireti, a project by Katiuska Govin, celebrated its first anniversary in February 2025. Located in her home in El Cerro, a central yet historically marginalized neighborhood of Havana, the bookstore focuses on Black consciousness and epistemic justice. Its shelves hold rare works on poetry, Pan-Africanism, African children's stories, theater, film, and cuisine, mostly by and for Black people. Govin has rescued many of these treasures from public and private bookstores across Cuba. The collection features voices of Afro-descendant authors from Cuba, Africa, and the diaspora. The article highlights five essential literary works: 'Reyita, Sencillamente' by Daisy Rubiera Castillo (1997), a testimonial biography of María de los Reyes Castillo; 'Poesía Completa' by Georgina Herrera (2016), a compilation of the poet's work; 'Sara Gómez: Un Cine Diferente' by Olga García Yero (2017), an essay on the first Black female filmmaker graduated from ICAIC; 'La Cultura Rastafari en Cuba' by Samuel Furé Davis (2011), a ten-year sociocultural study; and a compilation of texts on Nicolás Guillén by Nancy Morejón (1974). The article was written by Mónica Garabito, a researcher and artist based in São Paulo, Brazil, born in Cuba and raised in Germany.