The Republic of Panama is located in Central America. Panama has a population of approximately 3.4 million people. The culture is basically a mix of Caribbean and Spanish. The primary religion in the country is Catholic. The economic system is largely dependent on commerce primarily due to the toll revenue derived from passage through the Panama Canal which was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and completed in 1914. Music, art and literature in Panama were derived from several European countries and their traditions.
The literary history of Panama is quite extensive. Early published works date back as far as the mid 1500s. The publishing industry has been strong for this country as it places a great deal of emphasis on education, knowledge and traditions.
Some of the more popular and famous authors are Ricardo Miró (1883–1940), María Olimpia de Obaldía (1891–1985), Rogelio Sinán (1902-1994) and Ricardo J. Bermúdez (1914-2000).
Ricardo Miró is considered to be one of the most important poets from Panama. Originally, he studied to be a painter. He was studying abroad but returned to Panama due to the Thousand Day war. He spend a good deal of time traveling and most felt his work was very nostalgic about his homeland. His most important poems were “Native Land” (1909) and “To Portobello” (1918). He also wrote several novels including “The Pacific legend” (1919) and “Maria Flower” (1922).
María Olimpia de Obaldía was a decorated poet and the first woman to become a member of the Academia Panameña de la Lengua. After graduation from college in 1913, she began work as a primary school teacher. Her poetry writings focused largely on women issues. Her most famous poem was “Natore May.” Other works included “Breviario Lírico” (1930) and “Parnaso Infantil” (1948).
Bernardo Domínguez Alba created his work under the pseudonym Rogelio Sinan. He taught Spanish as a professor at the University of Panama. His work included many different genres. He was best known for his short stories but also wrote poems and novels. His popular titles include “Todo un conflicto de sangre” (1946), “Los pájaros del sueño” (1957), “Plenilunio” (1947) and his renown collection of poems entitled “Onda” (1929). It is noteworthy he was a multiple winner of the very prestigious Premio Ricardo Miró.
Ricardo J. Bermúdez was a highly educated man included earning a degree as an architect in the United States. He returned to Panama and became Dean of the Faculty of architecture of the University of Panama. He was a award winning poet having twice received the Premio Ricardo Miró for the poems “Adán Liberado” (1942), “Cuando la isla era doncella” (1954), and “Con la llave en el suelo” (1962). He also won this award for his novel “Para rendir al animal que ronda” (1974).
These are just a few of the many literary talents coming from this part of the world. There are so many more, but just too numerous to mention. With the internet and new publishing technology, we will surely be seeing much more works from Panama and around the world. What a great time to be in the world!
