Alumni event | Lezing
Spinoza Lecture by Cristina Rivera Garza
- Date
- Tuesday 3 November 2026
- Time
- Location
-
Academiegebouw
Rapenburg 73
2311 GJ Leiden - Room
- Groot Auditorium
On Tuesday, 3 November, the annual Spinoza Lecture will take place in the Great Auditorium of Leiden University. This year's speaker is the Mexican writer Cristina Rivera Garza. The Spinoza Lecture is one of the most important cultural events of the year for Spanish speakers in the Netherlands and will therefore be delivered in Spanish.
In recognition of the anniversary year of Leiden University's Latin American Studies programme (see text box below), the Instituto Cervantes has selected Leiden as the venue for this year's lecture. The event is jointly organised by the Latin American Studies programme, the Instituto Cervantes, and the Embassies of Spain and Mexico. For anyone with an interest in Latin America, this is an evening not to be missed.
About the Speaker
Cristina Rivera Garza is one of the most important contemporary voices in Latin American culture. Born in Mexico in 1964, she has lived and worked in the United States since 1989 and is currently a professor at the University of Houston.
Rivera Garza is the author of novels, poetry, essays, and non-fiction, and is widely regarded as a versatile writer whose work explores language, memory, and gender from a transnational perspective. She masterfully combines genres in works such as Autobiografía del algodón (The Autobiography of Cotton) and the metafictional La cresta del Ilión (The Iliac Crest).
Her novel Nadie me verá llorar (No One Will See Me Cry) was hailed by Carlos Fuentes as one of the most remarkable works of Spanish-language fiction at the turn of the millennium. In 2024, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Liliana's Invincible Summer, her powerful book about the murder of her sister. With these and many other distinctions to her name, Rivera Garza is among the most celebrated Latin American authors working today.
The Spinoza Lecture offers a unique opportunity to hear her speak in person.
What makes this evening particularly special is not only the chance to hear Cristina Rivera Garza, but also the opportunity to reconnect with former TCLA and LAS classmates during the reception afterwards. As long-time followers of the programme know, the conversations after the lecture are often just as valuable as the lecture itself.
On the Spinoza Lecture
More information about the Spinoza Lecture, including texts from previous editions, can be found on the Instituto Cervantes website.
The event follows the highly successful 40th anniversary celebration of Latin American Studies, held in Leiden on 10 April. Around 300 people attended the festivities, which featured keynote speakers and alumni Kathleen Ferrier and Valika Smeulders, an alumni panel, an In Memoriam for the late Professor Raymond Buve, and an evening celebration with live music and dancing.
A particularly notable aspect of the celebration was the presence of no fewer than sixteen ambassadors from Latin American countries, an unprecedented gathering for a university programme. Alumni from across society, including policymakers, diplomats, journalists, curators, and even a mayor, shared their memories of the programme and reflected on the lasting value of their intercultural education. The afternoon concluded with the presentation of the short-story collection You Shall Dream No Flowers, translated by alumna and literary translator Lisa Thunnissen.
The anniversary celebrations demonstrated just how vibrant the TCLA/LAS alumni network remains. The Spinoza Lecture on 3 November provides another excellent opportunity to strengthen those connections. Whether your career has taken you into journalism, business, education, diplomacy, or the cultural sector, chances are you will encounter familiar faces.
To stay informed about activities organised by the Latin American Studies programme, follow its LinkedIn page, where announcements are regularly posted about lectures, symposia, receptions, and other events. Cristina Rivera Garza will also participate in an additional activity organised by the programme later that same week.
In short: mark your calendar for 3 November, 5:30 p.m., at Leiden University's Great Auditorium. An evening with one of the most important contemporary Mexican writers, followed by a reception with old friends and fellow alumni. Don't miss it!
