In honor of the birth of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, considered one of the great figures of Mexican literature, in 1979 the National Book Day was decreed under the government of José López Portillo. Since then, every November 12, the life and work of the 17th-century nun is celebrated, promoting reading as a cultural project and recognizing the work of publishers and libraries.
Juana Inés de la Cruz, also known as Juana de Asbaje, was born on November 12, 1648, in San Miguel Nepantla. Her love for reading and learning Nahuatl was discovered in her grandfather's library. Her outstanding intelligence caught the attention of the viceroys and intellectuals of the time.
Convinced by Father Núñez de Miranda, she entered the Order of San Jerónimo, where she had freedom for her religious life, studies, and literary development. From the convent, she wrote important works in the traditional poetic genres of the Golden Age, becoming the Tenth Muse.
Among her notable works are Neptuno Alegórico, Los empeños de una casa, and Primero Sueño, the latter an extensive poem of 975 verses that narrates the journey of the soul in search of knowledge. Respuesta a Sor Filotea de la Cruz is a key point where she defends her intellectual position as a woman and her right to education, considered a pioneering act for contemporary feminism in Mexico.
