Queen Letizia Opens Madrid Book Fair with Literary Confessions, Gifts, and a Nod to Striking Teachers
Queen Letizia of Spain inaugurated the 85th Madrid Book Fair in El Retiro Park, receiving a bouquet of flowers and a trove of books while revealing she read Knut Hamsun's 'Hunger' at 17 and loved it, unaware of his Nazi sympathies.
A Royal Ritual Under the Madrid Sun
Queen Letizia arrived at the Paseo de Coches in El Retiro Park shortly before 11 a.m. on Friday, greeted by temperatures nearing 30 degrees Celsius and a crowd of fervent fans, schoolchildren, and journalists. Accompanied by Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun, Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida, and Fair Director Eva Orúe, she began her traditional walk through the 366 stands that will host over 230 authors and more than 6,600 signing sessions until June 14. The 85th edition is dedicated to humor as a form of critical thought, under the slogan "Reading and laughing: two ways of resisting."
Gifts, Flowers, and a Culinary Detour
The Queen's first stop was at the Cervantes y Compañía bookstore, where she received three books: 'La grieta' by Rodrigo Gervasi, 'Cartas' by Maruja Mallo, and 'La doble desaparición de Abril del Pino' by Marina Sanmartín. At the Santos Ochoa stand, a Rioja-based bookstore celebrating 111 years and making its Fair debut, she was given 'Cocina práctica riojana'. A spontaneous moment came when a man approached her expressly to hand her a beautiful bouquet of flowers, which she accepted with a smile. Other gifts included 'Sonidos de otras lenguas' by Jaime Siles, 'Poeta en Nueva York' by Federico García Lorca, and a new illustrated edition of Dostoevsky's 'White Nights', which she appreciated because "she likes Russian literature a lot."
Is there anything better than radio and books? For me, no.
The Hamsun Confession and a Talk on Nazism
At the stand of Nórdica Editorial, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, founder Diego Moreno offered her 'Hunger' by Knut Hamsun. The Queen surprised him by revealing she had already read it at age 17 and loved it, without knowing at the time about the Norwegian author's Nazi ideology. Moreno recounted that Letizia seemed to suggest one can love a book despite its author's terrible ideas. Nearby, at the Periférica stand, editor Paca Flores discussed books dealing with the rise of Nazism, including 'Tú no eres como otras madres' by Angelika Schrobsdorff and 'La cruz torcida' by Sally Carson.
She told me she had already read it, that she read it at 17 and loved it. And that back then she didn't know about the writer's ideas. And I think she was getting at that: you can read an author with terrible ideas, but still love it.
Listening to the 'Yellow Tide' of Educators
A group of early childhood educators, wearing yellow shirts and on their 53rd day of strike for better working conditions, made their voices heard near the Ministry of Culture stand. They chanted slogans like "educamos, no guardamos" (we educate, we don't just watch) and "es educación, no conciliación" (it's education, not conciliation). The Queen approached them, asked about their situation, and listened to their demands. The teachers later said she "was concerned about our struggle, she knows it." They also complained that Mayor Martínez-Almeida, present in the entourage, did not receive them.
Advice to Schoolchildren and a Radio Workshop
The Queen ended her tour at the children's pavilion, where she participated in a radio workshop with students from Nuestra Señora de La Almudena school. She advised them to read a lot because "the more you read, the more information you have, the more knowledge you have, the better you will express yourself; the more you will understand everything that happens around you and understand yourself, too." She also visited with students from the San Antonio de Alcobendas school and the Centro Cultural Palomeras, asking them if they liked to read.
The more you read, the more information you have, the more knowledge you have, the better you will express yourself; the more you will understand everything that happens around you and understand yourself, too.
