Saint George, the dragon, the book and the rose

SPAIN/UK Today is Saint George's Day, celebrating the fictitious patron saint of England. It is also Saint Jordi (that's George in Catalan), when tradition demands that a man receives a book and the woman, a rose. There is a connection but the whole thing starts in the year 303 in Capadocia, a somewhat elusive place (depends on who's telling the story) located in Turkey, where a dragon kept attacking the inhabitants of the kingdom there. An enormously frightened populace sacrificed two lambs to the dragon every day in the hope of stemming its hunger and it would stop its attacks. But lambs soon became scarce, and one of the lambs was replaced by the sacrifice of a person.>>>

What do Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega have in common?

Miguel de Cervantes,
author of Don Quijote

They were all writers that had an effect on the whole world. And they all died on April 23, which is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors such as Maurice Druon, K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo.This is why it is World Book and Copyright Day. It is also St. George's Day and Saint Jordi's, too. So all in all, it is quite a Day, wouldn't you say? In Spanish schools it is celebrated as Día del Libro. This year it falls on Monday next, and many schools have organized weekend activities and events that involve reading. The idea for this celebration originated in Catalonia (Spain) where it has become a tradition to give a rose as a gift for each book purchased. (Read more on the UNESCO website.)

Book presentation by Jimena's own self-help guru

JIMENA Prospero has known Frank González, better known in Jimena as Fran Rejano, since he was a small lad who'd come round to the house to help his father with some building work. That's years ago. Fran went away and turned up in Galicia, we think. But he was back last week to present his self-help book that was published recently. (Yes, it's in Spanish, but TranslationHelp has offered to translate it, so we'll see.) The presentation, which Prospero was sadly unable to attend, went swimmingly. The book is even better. As you'd expect from one titled FIND YOUR OWN LUCK, and subtitled 'Your inner being holds the key to your good luck'. Having not seen Fran for a good couple of years, we were delighted to have a coffee with him the other day. Very rarely indeed has Prospero met someone with such a positive outlook on life. It was a pleasure and a revelation. We wish Fran every bit of luck in his endeavours and hope that he can give up his day job soon. (We will find out where copies of the book are available and tell you, but not before we buy one for us. JUST HEARD: it's available on Amazon.es, and you can get to the book's website here.)

Google.es celebrates 300 years of Spain's National Library

SPAIN Today's Google.es logo (a.k.a. a doodle) is a cartoon of the Biblioteca Nacional, which celebrates its 300th anniversary today, coincidentally also on International Book Day. Founded on March 1, 1712, the National Library houses 28 million documents today. King Felipe V approved of the creation of a Royal Library on December 29, 1711, on the condition that it would be open to the public. It began its life on this day in a passageway called Pasadizo de la Encarnación, now the magnificent Plaza de Oriente in Madrid, and contained numerous tomes from a large variety of places. The library moved several times over th years until it settled at its present location on Paseo de Recoletos, but was expanded with an annex in 1993 at Alcalá de Henares. These days it functions not unlike the US Library of Congress, which keeps a register of all publications, with some 861,145 pieces registered in 2010 alone. Among its most important treasures are Leonardo da Vinci's Madrid Codexes I and II, the Biblia Politica Regia (a Bible in several ancient languages  including Arameic, Greek, Hebrew and Latin), the writings of the Beato de Liébana and the Brevary  of Queen Isabel the Catholic, the manuscript of Las siete partidas, a set of laws written by King Alfonso Xthe Wise, among many others.

'Facts are Subversive: Political Writing From a Decade Without a Name' by Timothy Garton Ash

(Published recently in Spanish, this is a review of the hardback in English by Andrew Moravcsik for Foreign Affairs, a synopsis) Oxford's Garton Ash is no dusty don producing authoritative tomes grounded in archival sources, statistical charts, or revisionist reinterpretations of the past. His virtues are journalistic -- most notably, a brilliant eye for spotting a memorable detail in an exotic locale -- yet his vision is broader than most reporters or columnists. He knows his history and literature, and he combines reportage with passionate political commitment. To be sure, these 48 short essays published over the last decade indulge some journalistic vices. They were written in the moment, and some have thus been overtaken by events: there are ruminations over the proper response to weapons that Iraq did not have, criticisms of an "Enlightenment fundamentalism" that Garton Ash now admits is illusory, and confident predictions about the spread of Ukraine's Orange Revolution that never came true. Moreover, the essays are selective, focusing on flashy subjects that make for engaging interviews: heroic revolutionaries, sordid politicians, and exotic nationalists. Economic interests and electoral calculation, the bland bread and butter of modern politics, play little role. Still, one would like to think this is how history is lived, and the result is engaging. These vignettes are highly recommended for those who cannot wait for the proverbial owl of Minerva to spread its wings.

British Council and Instituto Cervantes, word for word

SPAIN / BRITAIN (El País / Jesús Ruiz Mantilla) The two predominating Western languages in the world had, until recently, looked askance at one another. Now, the challenges of survival and of holding on to their influence in the future are forcing them to align. Palabra por palabra/Word for Word, a new book drafted jointly by the British Council and the Cervantes Institute, constitutes a bilingual compendium of the challenges facing two languages concerned with the unbridled expansion of Chinese, Arabic and Hindi. The longstanding division of the West into an Anglo-Saxon north and a Latin - predominantly Hispanic - south is slowly becoming a thing of history. Combined, both worlds represent nearly a billion people who speak either English or Spanish.>>>

Steve Jobs (1955 - 2011)

One of the world's greatest innovators died last night. The world media is full of obituaries and, although the news arrived when newspapers in Europe had already gone to the printers, most online versions put it up immediately. The Apple website, which was otherwise open for business (in true Jobs management style), opened onto a B&W photo of the man and then on to another white page with the following text: "Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple." An email address was also posted for the public to share their memories, condolences and thoughts.

Magnificent walkers' guide to Jimena countryside

JIMENA The local walkers' society in Jimena, called Caminete de Luna ('Pathway of the Moon', approx., beautifully named after a street in the village) held a book presentation on Friday evening (photos and text of the event in another item). But it's not just any old book. This is a magnificent, practical work of art that contains 35 routes through the Los Alcornocales Nature Park (not 'Natural' Park, please!). The routes are of varying degrees of difficulty, and can take anywhere between less than one hour to nine and a half. The ringbinder makes it easy to remove each route and the waterproof paper it is printed on, very practical. But that's not all. The photography, mainly by José Manuel Contreras and Raúl Cárdenas but with contributions from others, is absolutely stunning - and serves to remind those of us who live just outside Los Alcornocales that we live as close to Paradise as we humans can. (More great big photos and descriptions below - but we promise not to go OTT again...)

13 year old San Pablo girl illustrates book

SAN PABLO (buceite.com) Paula Uceda, 13, daughter of Primi Sánchez y José Uceda, of San Pablo but now living in Estepona, has illustrated a book by children's writer Rosa Morillo Gallardo, who was Paola's teacher in Primary School. The book, Annie en el Reino de Jara, is not the author's first, and neither is Paola's passion for drawing anything new. She has won several prizes for her work over the years and this time 35 of her colourful drawings illustrate a lovely book, aimed at 7 to 11 year olds, that also includes a series of stickers. It can be acquired through the following e-mail address: rosman81@hotmail.com. 

'Twisted Wine' to be presented at Instituto Cervantes in Gibraltar

Vino Torcido can be translated as 'Twisted Wine' or 'It Came/Arrived Twisted'. It is also a term used in the wine trade to describe one that is unpleasant and cloudy. In any case, this book, in its sixth edition, tells the story of Joaquín Santaella, or, as it says in a blurb: "Alcoholism is undoubtedly one of society’s biggest problems. As such, it is dramatic. Within this drama there are people and also a story. Such as the one which is told in this book, which is both a diary and a fable; just like the life of its author. It is set in a rehabilitation centre where the interns and their carers share a harsh life; Joaquín Santaella sweetens the pill with his subtle irony and lively narrative." The book is being presented at the Instituto Cervantes in Gibraltar on May 12 at 7pm, by Álvaro Álvarez, psychologist and Director of the Montenegral Therapeutic Community (San Martín del Tesorillo, Campo de Gibraltar). Both presentation and book are in Spanish, but then, the Instituto is the best place to learn it.

Head teacher is also a 'flamencologist'

ALGECIRAS (Press release) Juan Rondón Rodríguez, head teacher at CEIP N.S. Los Ángeles in Jimena, is also a writer and researcher specialising in Flamenco. As such and as we write, he is at a press conference prior to presenting his third book, Corruco de Algeciras (Editorial La Hidra de Lerna, 2010), about Algeciras cantaor (singer) José Ruiz Arroyo, known as Corruco, who was born in La Línea in 1910 and died in Teruel in 1938 where he was shot  fighting as a soldier in the Nationalist Army of Spain's Civil War. The book presentation is scheduled for 8pm at the Fundación Municipal de Cultura José Luis Cano in Algeciras. (Note: In personal conversations with Rondón, he eschews the description of himself as a 'flamencologist', defined as a person 'studious of the musical art of Flamenco', which of course he is.)

Amazon sells twice as many e-book best-sellers as paper editions

(Agencies) Sales of electronic books at Amazon have tripled in a year and they sell more 'e-best-sellers' than their paper editions, according to the online book shop. In a statement issued recently, Amazon, which markets its own version of an e-book reader, Kindle (see sidebar), says that electronic books have overtaken paper ones 'over the last thirty days'. The figures apply not only to the Top Ten but also to the top 25, 50 and 1000. (You can order your Kindle and e-books, or any paper edition right from our sidebar. It won't cost any more but would help this site survive - and you get FREE delivery to Spain and Gibraltar!)

Amazon now offers free delivery to Spain and Gibraltar, SO ORDER THROUGH THIS SITE!

Readers in Spain and other European locations, including Gibraltar, will be delighted to hear that Amazon UK recently announced free delivery for orders over £25. It's quite simple: orders over that amount get free delivery to Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Andorra, Finland, Gibraltar, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Vatican City and Poland. Under that, you pay delivery as usual. Find out more. AND NOW TAKE ADVANTAGE BY ORDERING ALL YOUR AMAZON PURCHASES THROUGH CAMPOPULSE! (Check the sidebar!)

Granta's Best Young Spanish-Language Novelists

MADRID (Source: The Guardian & Agencies) "From Borges to Bolano, the Spanish language has given us some of the most beloved writers of the 20th and 21st centuries," said Granta. "But as the reach of Spanish-language culture extends far beyond Spain and Latin America, and the US tilts towards a majority Hispanic population, it is time to ask who is next in this exciting tradition." So says The Guardian in its Books section. From Argentinian author Federico Falco to Chilean poet and novelist Alejandro Zambra and Spain's Pablo Gutiérrez, the literary magazine unveiled the 22 writers under the age of 35 to make it into its list of the best of young Spanish-language novelists in Madrid this morning. Of the 22, 8 are from Argentina and 7 from Spain, and the rest from Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, Colombia and Peru.

He cycles across Spain to raise money for his kids' school library

CASARES
Jan Doorakers lives in Casares and has three children at the Colegio Blas Infante there. The school library needed a boost and Jan came to the rescue. The photo shows him handing over a cheque for €3,300 which he collected  after cycling 2,300 kms in 23 days. He left his home town of Oisterwiik on May 8 for Paris, boarded a train to Perpignan and then crossed Spain from North to South all the way to Casares - about 100 kms a day. Councillor Pedro González and the school teachers were not only grateful but also amazed at the amount Jan collected, which will now go towards setting up a reading programme for the kids.

William Beatty's latest book review is just in

This month, Beatty reviews one of Swedish sensation Stieg Larsson's books, 'The Girl Who Played with Fire', part of his Millenium trilogy. To add a little to his review, the series is also a wild sensation in Spain. For over a good six months, anyone seen carrying a book under their arm was likely to be reading one of Larsson's novels. On a more local note, the girl at the tobacconist in Jimena can be seen reading the latest in the series in her downtime. So, we recommend reading the review and then the book.

William Beatty's latest book review is just in

Our monthly feature on Beatty on Books has just come in. It starts like this: You make a living out of what you get, but you make a life out of what you give!  Arguably one of the best of this season’s crop of celebrity biographies, this book’s 6th place in the Sunday Times Business Books Chart sets it apart from the more superficial TV tie-ins:  the Dragons’ Den chapters occupy only thirty pages at the back of the book. Its title gives a clue to its popularity: this rags-to-riches autobiography delivers exactly what it promises on the cover – the “real deal”. Last year's reviews: Winter in Madrid by C.J. Sansom (August); Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (September); The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale (October); The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (November); The Painter of Battles by Arturo Perez-Reverte (December).