Normalcy has returned to the Book Fair after two years. Finally, the Paseo de Coches del Parque del Retiro is open from this Friday to anyone who wants to come to the booths to find out what’s new from the publishers. The first reader who has received the fair has been Queen Letizia. For years, the wife of Felipe VI has been in charge of opening this cultural event, a moment that she enjoys and in which she reveals some of her literary tastes.
At eleven o’clock in the morning the Queen appeared at the booth of the Ministry of Culture at the Fair. Accompanied by the Minister of Education, Pilar Alegría, the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, and the Deputy Mayor, Begoña Villacís, Doña Letizia spent an hour and a half at the Fair.
The Queen had planned a tour passing through institutional and private booths. Thus, after completing the Children’s pavilion and the European pavilion, from where she has come out with a fan with the Union flag, the Queen has stopped at the booth of the Polifemo bookstore. There, Doña Letizia has valued the effort of the assembly and has received two gift books: In demand of the island of King Solomon, about Spanish navigators in the South Pacific in the 16th century, and the Selected Works of Ramón y Cajal.
Because this is a day in which the Queen receives books of her interest and reveals which ones she has read. Thus, in the booth of the Reno bookstore, he was pleased to see exhibited The Usefulness of the Useless by Nuccio Ordine and Cinema According to Hitchcock by François Truffaut. As the booksellers have revealed later, they are two header titles of Doña Letizia that she read in her university days.
More striking has been the Queen’s stop at booth 298, that of the Desnivel bookstore. It is the oldest bookstore in Spain, since 1890 it has been in the same place. It is currently a bookstore specializing in Climbing. Doña Letizia has confessed to the owner of the business that she has visited her store on several occasions “although you have not recognized me”, she has said. The Queen has taken three books: Cuerdas Rebeldes, which talks about women in the world of climbing, Yoga and climbing and another about the life of Carlos Soria. According to what he told the author, he really likes going out to nature and to the mountains.
The stop with Pepa Arteaga, owner of the Miraguano bookstore, has been very emotional, since this year she is retiring after 44 editions present at the Fair. From her booth, 207, Arteaga has boasted about the Madrid fair: “There is no other in the world like it, here the authors are with the readers.” Doña Letizia and Arteaga have talked about the latest book by Rodrigo Cortés and the Queen has taken A shores of the Bosphorus.
In Galaxia Gutemberg (booth 222) Doña Letizia has been reunited with Theodor Kallifatides. The Swedish author of Greek origin was signing books at the Fair and has chatted with the Queen, whom he met during the state trip to Sweden. Doña Letizia, who had already read Another Life to Live, has taken her latest book, in addition to an illustrated edition of Ulysses and Pasolini’s Corsair Writings. The owners of the publishing house have given him the collected poetry of Olvido García Valdés, winner of the Reina Sofía Poetry Prize.
Doña Letizia, who has stopped at the Portugal stand and has assured that she has Pessoa’s biography at home, has been very warm with Daniel de la Riva. This young man owns a bookstore in Parla and this year he enters the fair for the first time. From her booth, 235, Doña Letizia has congratulated them on the collection of children’s books, she has even reflected on the comic manga titles they sell. “She has told us that it is a joy that now that the manga is on so many platforms, it can also be had on paper.” The Queen was pleased that they promote culture in Parla and has taken The Bone Thief, by Manel Loureiro.
With the official tour completed, Doña Letizia has come to chat with the shop assistants of the Asteroid Books booth. She has told them that it is one of her favorite publishers. She has also told them that Spoils: On Marriage and Separation, by Rachel Cusk, she really liked. Also the novel Hamlet, by Maggie O’Farrell
Throughout the tour, hundreds of onlookers tried to approach the Queen. Carmen, a Madrilenian, has managed to attract the attention of Doña Letizia in the car ride. As she explained to EL MUNDO, she had been trying for many years to get the Queen to sign a fan that she has had with her since the Kings’ wedding. “I have finally achieved it, the Queen is gorgeous, with those green eyes… she is very thin, but she eats very well,” she told this newspaper while she showed off the fan.
In addition to the books mentioned, Doña Letizia has received as many others to complete a total of 35. Before leaving for Madrid, the Queen has skipped protocol to greet some of the curious who said goodbye to her shouting of Guapa.
A thread links me to you Beatriz Giménez de Ory
Virtues (and mysteries) Xesús Fraga (and edition in castellano)
La insumisa Cristina Peri Rossi
Infinite reading Reading promotion plan 2021-2024
The Doré I story-ya
Guam, the Marianas and the Chamorro culture City Hall
Sabatini’s Madrid
Telegrams cinephiles José Luis Garci
The last summer of the USSR Sara Gutiérrez
Sunstroke (love story) Emilia Pardo Bazán
The history of the United States Howard Zinn
Such small hands Marina Sanmartín
San, the book of miracles Manuel Astur
Catalog 2022 Castro Library
Spanish Classical Authors Selected Works Santiago Ramón y Cajal
In demand from King Solomon Island Forgotten Navigators of the South Pacific
PW Magazine From Madrid to heaven passing through El Retiro
Alfonso (photographer)
Yoga and climbing Eileen Jubes
Rebel ropes Portraits of female climbers Arantxa López Marugán
Carlos Soriamountain climber Darío Rodríguez
On the shores of the Bosphorus Antonio de Zayas
Language and functionality to the rhythm of jazz Almudena Mestre
In this garden, you shall not kill Ouka Leele
The bear waltz Eduardo Prieto
European Union: Sensational!
Listen to my voice Manuel Espejo
When a queen takes off her shoes Manuel Espejo
Two cities and love Gema Hervás Asensio
The Bone Thief Manuel Loureiro
That moth that flutters in front of me Olvido García Valdés
Timandra Theodor Kallifatides
Ulises James Joyce
The girl Delia Owens
Some complete stories Domingo Villar
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