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For four minutes and fifty-two seconds, the night became a thing that he pounded with his fist...
Every year, at the height of summer, the remote Argentinian village of Laborde holds the prestigious national malambo contest. Little known outside the Argentinian pampas, the malambo is a centuries-old gaucho dance, governed by the most rigid rules and shatteringly physically demanding. It is the object of obsession for thousands of young working-class men, who sacrifice their spare time, their bodies and what little money they have to try to win the title of Malambo Champion. The twist is that a Malambo Champion may never compete again.
In 2011, Leila Guerriero travelled to Laborde for what was supposed to be a brief investigation into this intriguing contest. But on the second night, one dancer's towering performance takes her breath away - he doesn't win, but Guerriero, irresistibly drawn, spends the next year following him in his preparations for the 2012 festival. In this remarkable work of reportage Guerriero proves herself to be as sharp-eyed as Gay Talese, as lyrical as Norman Mailer.
About the author
Leila Guerriero is one of Latin America's most acclaimed journalists. Born in Junin in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, she began her career at the magazine Página/30. Since then, her work has appeared in many international publications, including Rolling Stone, El País, La Nación and L'Internazionale. Her books include A Simple Story, also available from Pushkin Press, and the prize-winning, bestselling La llamada, which is forthcoming from Pushkin in 2026. Guerriero lives in Buenos Aires.Thomas Bunstead is a writer and translator. His recent translations include The Things We've Seen by Agustín Fernández Mallo, which was the recipient of a PEN Translation Award, and Water Over Stones, a co translation with Margaret Jull Costa.
Summary
Obsession and mastery in their purest states: the story of one dancer's attempt to win the biggest contest of his life.
Foreword
A thrilling journey in search of the legendary malambo dance of Argentina, and one Gaucho who faces the biggest contest of his life
