Creative Reading Labs: Community Literary Creation and Publishing for Social Transformation

Abstract

As part of the “Libre Libro: Creative Reading Communities” outreach project at the Universidad de las Artes, the first Creative Reading Lab was developed at the KaribuLeo Community Library. This article systematizes the experience of a process that approaches books and reading as tools for social transformation. The lab brought together children and adolescents from the Cooperativa Cisne 2 neighborhood in the western suburbs of Guayaquil, promoting collective writing and community publishing. Its goal was to foster the construction of personal narratives, strengthen social bonds, and establish the neighborhood’s first collection of collaborative books. Through this process, the need for accessible cultural spaces that enhance historical memory and community participation was identified. The experience highlights the impact of art and literature on social cohesion and their potential to generate change in vulnerable contexts.