Hello, steemians! Since I already introduced myself in Spanish, I'm doing this presentation for English speakers.
My name is Daniela Olivero. I'm 27 years old, I'm from Caracas, Venezuela; I have a degree in Literature from the Universidad Central de Venezuela, I'm a proofreader, and I want to share with you a little bit about who I am and what I love to do.
The arts have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My dad is a musician, percussionist, and from his hands I inherited a love of rhythm, of melody. I understood that the deepest trace that human beings can leave in the world is artistic expression: through music, dance, painting... literature.
Years later I would fall in love with American Tribal Style, a dance that mixes bellydance, flamenco and various Indian dances in its roots, offering a multicultural show based on improvised movements that dancers must follow through steps that function as signals. Here I learned to communicate with other women through movement and music, and to respect and love my body the way it is. It was a very fulfilling experience.
Despite my love for music and dance, it was literature that determined the rest of my life. Walking through the terrifying and fascinating stories of Horacio Quiroga and Edgar Allan Poe, I arrived at the end of high school in love with the verses of Pérez Bonalde and Vicente Gerbasi. Especially a poem "My father the immigrant" was the one that made me make my decision: I would study Literature.
"And how will you find any job?" people asked me. Fortunately, my family, especially my mother, supported me in my life decision and I enjoyed a wonderful career that nurtured my knowledge and love of literature. From the Greek classics to the Spanish "Siglo de Oro." From European authors like Calderón de la Barca to authors of the Latin American "Boom" like Julio Cortázar. Outside the study of "canonical" literature, I found an unexpected love that my career did not show me, but rather the community service that I did as a prerequisite for graduating from college... children's literature.
Love for Children's Literature
The Banco del Libro in Venezuela showed me the magic of picture books, the secrets hidden behind the most beautiful illustrations and the short texts. I was dedicated to this world and worked for Ediciones Ekaré, a prestigious children's publishing house.
Working as a reading promoter has been one of the best experiences of my life. Not only to study children's books, but also to show them and read them to those for whom they are intended: children. This world teaches you that the most complicated topics can be told through a good dialogue between words and illustrations.
Would you like to know more?
Join me on this journey I'll be doing on my blog, where I'll talk to you about important authors of children's literature and works that have kept their relevance over time! (Among other topics of interest).
Let your inner child always be surprised and learn new things.
