Columbia and UDP Students Deepen Cultural Collaboration through Literature

Zoe Hardwick, a student in the MFA Writing Program at Columbia’s School of the Arts and an instructor in the University’s Undergraduate Writing Program, visited Chile in July to further her literary exploration. This visit stemmed from her participation in the Word for Word. program, a collaborative literary translation initiative through which Columbia students pair with international writers to translate each other's work.

Since 2018, students from Universidad Diego Portales (UDP) in Chile and graduate students from Columbia’s School of the Arts have participated in this exchange, mutually translating each other's texts. Hardwick met Valentina Palominos, a Bachelor of Literature student at UDP, through this program.

Following their initial collaboration, Hardwick and Palominos decided to co-author a narrative essay on the theme of “US-Americanization” in Santiago and Palominos' hometown of El Monte, a small town about 50 km south of Santiago with a population of approximately 27,000. Hardwick secured a travel grant from her program, enabling her to visit Chile and experience the contrasts between Santiago and El Monte firsthand.

Hardwick explained the focus of their project: “We wanted to explore how to imagine a future for a place like El Monte—a smaller town that has remained relatively untouched by US-Americanization. Valentina often talks about how many U.S. influences are present in Santiago, making it feel more modern and globally attractive. We’re interested in what the future might hold for a town like El Monte, without those external influences.”

Despite attending university in Santiago, Palominos continues to live in El Monte and commutes to UDP. She contrasts Santiago’s constant activity with the stillness she values in her hometown: “Santiago is a place where you feel like you always have to be on the move. In El Monte, I appreciate the quiet and stillness.”

Hardwick shared similar observations: “Santiago has that quintessential big-city atmosphere, similar to New York, where people don’t interact much with each other.” During her stay, Hardwick lived with Palominos’ family in El Monte, where she engaged in local activities and even tried Cueca, Chile’s national dance.

Reflecting on their collaboration in the Word for Word program, Hardwick noted the differences in their writing styles: “I tend to be more detailed and descriptive, while Valentina’s writing is more emotional and symbolic.” Palominos' work was a narrative based on a dream about walking through a dark field, which she connected to her feelings of confusion and stress at the time.

Hardwick’s contribution was a piece from a larger work she is writing for her master’s thesis, which deals with her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The narrative touches on themes of global and personal grief, as well as the challenge of finding positivity in difficult situations. Hardwick mentioned that her time in Chile has inspired her to revisit her thesis: “Before coming to Chile, I was experiencing writer's block. Being here reminded me of my time in Boston, which has rekindled my desire to write.”

Word for Word is part of Literary Translation at Columbia (LTAC) and aims to provide emerging translators with valuable experience and a global network. It also encourages young writers to engage more deeply with their own language through literary translation and cross-cultural collaboration. Each year, UDP students are paired with Columbia counterparts, coordinating online throughout the program. Columbia students can apply for funds to visit Chile at the end of the program to meet their collaborators in person.