Transitions: In conversation with Caetano Veloso and Paul B PreciadoIn November 2020, for the Festa Literária Internacional de Paraty, I chaired an online conversation between Brazilian musician Caetano Veloso and Spanish philosopher and activist Paul B Preciado. In a wide-ranging discussion, we talked about… Mar 27 23March 27, 2023Article at Angel on Authory
Taking tea with Nadine GordimerIn July 2007, South African Nobel laureate Nadine Gordimer was one of the main attractions at Latin America’s largest literary festival, the Festa Literária Internacional de Paraty (FLIP), in Brazil. I had been invited to chair her conversation with… Jul 21 14July 21, 2014Article at Prospect
Meeting Gabriel García MárquezAmong the countless possessions I have lost in my life, there is one whose loss rankles especially: a first edition of Doce Cuentos Peregrinos, a collection of short stories by Gabriel García Márquez (published in English as Strange Pilgrims). To… Apr 23 14April 23, 2014Article at Prospect
Barcelona, city of books: A literary hub built on rich history and skillsIn 1860, a former labourer from the Catalan provinces founded a publishing company in Barcelona. José Espasa, who had worked demolishing the old city walls, would go on to print Spain’s first encyclopedia. “From building to publishing: that has been… Mar 21 11March 21, 2011Article at Financial Times
First Peruvian to win Nobel literature awardThe Swedish Academy has awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in literature to novelist and essayist Mario Vargas Llosa. He is the first Peruvian – and the sixth Latin American – to win the prestigious literary accolade. An elegant polyglot who divides his… Oct 07 10October 07, 2010Article at Financial Times
¡Viva el español!There were scenes of chaos on the streets of Cartagena this spring. The usually serene Colombian port, with its famous fortified walls and colonial buildings, had probably not seen such throngs since the days when the Inquisition’s public executions… May 18 07May 18, 2007Article at Financial Times
Words on the street: Books and policing in Mexico CityThe back of a police motorcycle speeding through the outskirts of the world’s largest city is not the most obvious place to discuss one’s favourite books. Yet I am doing just that with Benito Espinoza, commander of the motorised patrol group in… Mar 03 06March 03, 2006Article at Financial Times
Hobby horses: A short journey into 'living history'I am queuing outside a portable toilet behind a Viking and a Roman legionary. The air is thick with the fatty smell of spit-roasts from a nearby Norman encampment. Over the sound system, an excited narrator gives a real-time, blow-by-blow account of… Sep 23 05September 23, 2005Article at Financial Times
Brazil’s rich literary tradition (or Flipping in Parati)For five days in July, the Brazilian seaside town of Parati hosted some of the world’s most celebrated authors. Where else might one spot Paul Auster and Siri Hustvedt tripping over colossal cobbles while Margaret Atwood fingered dresses and geared… Oct 01 04October 01, 2004Article at Financial Times
