Page 178 - Results 2015: AC/E Programme for the Internationalization of Spanish Culture

RESULTS 2015 sElECtion of projECts178/San Juan’s marine cemetery. e problem lies in the logic of the international book market -a matter exacerbated by the economic crisis- which makes it di cultfor Spanish language books published in the di erent Spanish speaking countriesto circulate from one country to another. e curiosity and interest is there but it is not so easy to keep up with latest trends in each country or to access a large part of the books published. Puerto Rican booksellers make tremendous e orts. But events such as the Festival of the Word are important because they facilitate —albeit just for a few days— that vital contact between di erent literatures in Spanish.Q - Are the bestsellers the same both sides of the Atlantic?A - With the global predominance ofthe Anglo-Saxon bestseller many of thetop selling books are the same both sides of the Atlantic. But, obviously, there are exceptions. From each country there are writers who are successful at home. But all indicators show that Puerto Rican authors have a greater readership abroad. Often, high readership matches high literary quality of the work. at is certainly the case of Mundo Cruel, by Luis Negrón, Simone, by Eduardo Lalo or Nuestra Señora de la Noche (Our Lady of the Night), by Mayra Santos-Febres.Q - What type of Spanish books and authors are the most widely read?A - I can’t think of any Spanish writerthat notably sells more than others. But I think I can say the novel is the most read genre. ere are a bunch of writers also that seem to spark a lot of interest here. I could cite some of them: Rosa Montero, José Ovejero, Almudena Grandes... All ofthose have been involved in the festival and that has contributed to raising interest in their work even more. Right now, actually, and after her involvement in the festival last year, the University of Puerto Rico is holding special sessions on Marta Sanz, who will be there in person. at’s a great example of how the festival is sparking reader interest in Spanish literature.Q - Writing in Times of Violence is one of the festival themes. What kind of violence is in mind here?A - e festival’s centres around the subject Writing in Times of Violence. And violence is a manifestation of the crisis, perhaps one of the most extreme or most visible ones. But there are other ones that are worthwhile re ecting on, such as the desperation caused not only by lack of work but also by the depreciating value of work and the drama for those who need to migrate abroad to nd work. Some are pushed by hunger,war, the waning of hope in the future orthe vanishing of social values, of personal and cultural ties. It is important to seehow literature reacts to all this; how ittells the story; how it transforms it into creative material and, in doing so, how it contributes to providing society with the metal ammunition to face the challenges.Q - It might seem to some a subject more speci c to Latin America, but violence,as such, is everywhere. Is it very di erent between one country and another? Is a broader and diverging view important and why?A - On the subject of violence in Latin America there is unfortunately, a great range of experiences, going from outbreaks of social unrest to the cost in lives through civil wars, through drug tra cking, paramilitary