On November 6th and 7th, Colegio Concepción hosted a memorable two-day Literary Gathering focused on suspense and horror. Organised by the English Immersion program with collaboration from the History, Social Studies, and Philosophy, Lenguaje, Arts and English departments, this event brought students and teachers together to explore the thrill of suspenseful and haunting literature across various cultures.
Throughout the event, our talented students showcased their linguistic and dramatic skills by reading from a diverse selection of literary works in multiple languages, each evoking the universal themes of fear and mystery. Here are a few of the featured readings:
● Italian: Fear by Vittoria Aganoor Pompili, read by Laura Orellana (6th grade)
● Mandarin: Haunting Tales of Hong Kong by Hong Kong Writers’ Circle, read by Mariana Gonzalez (8th grade, high school)
● French: An extract from Le Fantôme de l’Opéra by Gaston Leroux, read by Antonia Gonzalez (2nd grade, high school)
● Norwegian: The myth Nokken, read by Synne Hvenekilde (3rd grade, high school)
● German: The short story “Hansel and Gretel” by the Grimm Brothers, read by Mila Kassem (2nd grade, high school)
● Spanish: Almohadón de plumas by Horacio Quiroga, read by Sebastian Huepe (7th grade, high school)
● Spanish: La mariscadora by Baldomero Lillo, read by Juanmartin Araya (1st grade, high school)
● English: Epistolary excerpts from Dracula by Bram Stoker, read by Tomas Farfan (3rd grade, high school)
● English: The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, read by Benjamin Saez (8th grade, high school)
The event was enriched by the participation of Professors Luis González, Patricia Alvarez, and Marcos Riveros, who each contributed a dramatic reading. Professor González opened with a historical and cultural contextualization of the suspense and horror genre, setting the stage for the readings that followed. He also presented La Voix by Charles Baudelaire from Les Poètes maudits, capturing the dark allure of French poetry. Patricia Alvarez brought the chilling The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft to life, while Marcos Riveros captivated the audience with an excerpt from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
The school band guided by professor Veronica Cofre provided live music throughout the event, heightening the suspenseful atmosphere and creating an immersive experience. Over these two days, students and faculty alike celebrated the power of multicultural literature, discovering how suspense and horror transcend language and culture.
We invite everyone to view highlights of this unforgettable gathering and relive the inspiring moments that showcased the magic of literature in a multicultural setting!
