Natalia Figueroa Barroso at Our North is the South: A Celebration of Latin American Storytelling on Gadigal Country

Join us at the iconic Powerhouse Youth Theatre in Fairfield for live readings from emerging Latinx writers, followed by a critical conversation between Luisa Caroca Lucero and Natalia Figueroa Barroso. The event will be hosted by Michelle Yañez-Olivares.

Following the re-election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, there has been a disturbing surge in racial profiling, discrimination, persecution, detainment and deportation of Latinx and Indigenous peoples across North America. In early September, Trump deployed multiple warships to the Caribbean en route to Venezuela, under the guise of a renewed ‘War on Drugs’. Since then, the U.S. has launched at least four deadly aerial attacks on alleged drug trafficking boats in the region.

This xenophobic escalation reflects a broader trend across the West, one that scapegoats immigration for social and economic instability and targets already vulnerable migrant communities.

Yet amidst this global crisis, we also find resilience, pride and cultural power, especially here in our own backyard. This year, Natalia Figueroa Barroso released her debut novel, Hailstones Fell Without Rain, a powerful narrative that moves between Fairfield in Western Sydney and el Cerro in Western Montevideo. The book celebrates matrilineal heritage and has been described by author, academic and journalist Dr. Sarah Ayoub as ‘a fist-raise story to collective consciousness’.

To honour this significant milestone for Latin American storytellers from Western Sydney and beyond, we invite you to a special evening of performance, dialogue and community.

Tickets here.