“Toads from Another Well”: Testimonies, poems, and photographs that narrate childhoods in exile

In the National Library 's auditorium, packed with people and excitement, the Daughters and Sons of Exile group presented the book Sapos de otro pozo (Toads from Another Well ), published by the La Plata-based publishing house Filosurfer . The book, collectively woven over more than four years, brings together the voices, languages, and memories of those who experienced exile as children, a little-explored topic that highlights an increasingly urgent problem: How can we protect children in times of crisis and war?

What began in 2018-2019 as a simple proposal at an assembly—collecting stories and creating a homemade PDF—ended up becoming a choral cartography that brings together testimonies, poems, short stories, plays, photographs, and videos from more than 27 countries. In times of pandemic, an open call was launched, and the bottle in the sea found its port: dozens of contributions arrived to join this plot that addresses exile and also returning home, the hardship of leaving and also the complexity of returns, nostalgia, and the languages ​​learned in new territories.

The result is a printed object that exudes diversity and memory, an intimate and political book that foregrounds stolen childhoods and, at the same time, the power of the collective to rebuild community. It is a multifaceted work not only in its voices but also in its formats: in Sapos de otro pozo the reader will find stories, poems, documentaries, photos, and videos. After more than four years of group work , the material was organized into chapters around thematic axes.

Among the audience at the National Library, a girl no more than ten years old read Luis Pescetti's prologue, foreshadowing the fresh and playful outlook of the entire presentation. At the start of the event, the auditorium, packed to the rafters, echoed Sunday's political celebrations with applause. It was noted that next year the group will be 20 years old and that for too long, exile, a victory for the oppressors, had not been discussed . "A golden exile was painted, and those of us who lived through it know that there's nothing joyful about it because it wasn't a choice," noted the event's moderators, Violeta Burkart Noe and Yara Girotti.

A video featuring seas, clouds, and airplanes—funded by the National Endowment for the Arts—opened the day, showcasing the breadth of voices participating from Spain, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, Denmark, and Venezuela . The texts were compiled by Inés Abeledo, Violeta Burkart Noe, Rodrigo Marco del Pont, Camila Bejarano Petersen, Tatiana Salvodal Gutiérrez, Susana Alepeiba, and Diego Torres. The design was created by Romina Morbelli and Daniela Mainet, and the illustration is a work of art by Eugenia Viñes.

The book presentation was, at first, atypical. In addition to the classic conversation format surrounding the book, the group Hijas e Hijos del Exilio doubled the ante and offered a "Performative Conference" along with a closing play.

During the panel, the book's editor, Diego Torres, emphasized that Toads from Another Well not only addresses exile, but also friendship, family, farewells, and reunions . "Valuing the collective and joining voices is also building memory," he stated.

Mariana Sáez, director of Filosurfer, explained that the editorial work sought to give equal hierarchy to all voices and materials . The cover, illustrated with a hopscotch game, anticipates this free reading. The publishers faced the challenge with courage but also some trepidation: this heterogeneity and magnitude demanded extremely careful work. Furthermore, the editorial work required (among these satisfactory demands) a question about the publisher's identity based on this new addition: How does this work interact with the catalog?

“We are a publishing house in La Plata that publishes essays in the fields of the arts and social sciences, anthropology, and philosophy, and this book offered much for that dialogue,” explained Sáez. With the work now complete, the editors are certain that this “amphibious” challenge is the book's strength.

For her part, Natalia Montealegre Alegría, the book’s prologue writer, described Sapos de otro pozo as an uncomfortable read : “It’s a book that didn’t end up making anyone happy. Although it’s beautiful, it’s really nice, but it’s full of discomfort, because delving into the pains of childhood is particularly uncomfortable, and often times it’s difficult for adults. Because it’s painful, because it’s complex, because it’s a dream come true, because it’s creative, because it’s transformative, because it’s questioning, because it’s constantly changing, because it’s growing .”

He also noted: “ Toads from Another Well adds pieces to the kaleidoscope that allows us to delve into cruelty, which shows us that no harm to children is collateral damage. That no state violence against the population can break the community if it doesn't destroy children. I'm not going to give examples, but I have to give you some bad news. And that is, Toads from Another Well exists for many reasons. It exists, yes, because of state terrorism. It exists because of the complicity between different governments. It exists because of different economic interests. But it also exists because there is an adult world, beyond the country in which it was located, that decided that those girls, those boys, should be protected.”

In this sense, the result is a book that functions as both a memoir and a warning : " Toads from Another Well comes and spits in the faces of readers: What are you doing today with the children of the planet? What are yours? How do you view what is happening in Palestine? What measures are you taking to protect those girls?" asked Montealegre Alegría.

The presentation included a performance that provided a glimpse into the book's diverse content. Readings included "Another Nest," a text by Paula U; "The Airplane," written by Eduardo Cornetas Villablanca; and "There Are No Cockroaches Here, Only Beetles" by Mariana Norandi (among others). This performance also included the exhibition of photographs, such as "Casa Rodante" by Inti Mena; "El Simple Juguete" by Inés Abeledo; and "Vuelta a los Pagos" by Eduardo Mattioli.

The audio material was also included: the audience was able to listen to "Lila and Exile" by Julia Spangenberg Menendez, "Memories of Exile" by Fernanda Mariana Araujo Linares, and audiovisual material such as "Broken in Mirrors," a video by Camila Bejarano Petersen. At the end of the performance, the adults held toys while a lullaby played in the background and photos of the participating children were projected.

Finally, 90 years after the birth of Mercedes Sosa , the event concluded with a tribute to La Negra called "Un grito en la voz" (A Scream in the Voice), a musical-theatrical work starring Pedro Frías Yuber and Tatiana Santana. The performers were Guido Encinas, Sonia Alemán, and Pedro Frías. Gonzalo Dalairac provided musical accompaniment on guitar. With suitcases on stage, the actor began: "Migrants are those who choose to leave. We were banished. We still await the day of return."

The performance concluded with the audience singing Mercedes Sosa's "Serenata para la tierra de una" (Serenade for the Land of One) along with the cast. The phrase "Pueblo, palabra que amo" (People, word that I love) served as the epilogue to a night that was a time of mourning, a celebration of what had been achieved, but above all, a commitment to completing those pieces that are still missing from memory.