“Reviewing the biographies of the guests, I see that the date of birth is more and more recent and that there is a good relief”, commented Felipe VI with a smile. After the traditional lunch of representatives of the cultural world for the Cervantes prize, the kings chatted informally with the guests yesterday.
For many, it was the first time they had attended this traditional meeting at the Palau d’Orient, an appointment that makes visible the support that the monarchs look to give to this sector. It’s hard not to be a little impressed when you climb the ambassadorial staircase of the majestic building, flanked by the imperturbable halberdiers of the royal guard.
At the aperitif in the Saló de Columnes, great publishers such as José Creuheras, from Planeta, and Núria CabutÃ, from Penguin Random House, have already been meeting; the director of the RAE, Santiago Muñoz Machado; academics such as Carme Riera, Aurora Egido, Soledad Puértolas or the most recent, Clara Sánchez; the philosopher and director of the March Foundation, Javier Gomá; Daniel Fernández and Patrici Tixis, Juan Cerezo; the linguist Teresa Cabré, president of the IEC. And, among the writers, the winner of the Tusquets prize, Cristina Araújo; that of the Brief Library award, Rosario Villajos; Virginia Bieto, Manuel Vilas, José Gómez Jurado and Barbara Moldes, Ildefonso Falcones, Ray Loriga, Karina Sainz in a bright green dress “because it is my favorite color and also because of the symbolism of wearing it here in the palace” (green is the acrostic of “long live the king of Spain”).
The Minister of Culture, Miquel Iceta, shows his satisfaction with the success of Sant Jordi in Barcelona: “I noticed an anxiety, people wanted more and more”. In a corner, sitting because his leg bothers him, the veteran Luis MarÃa Anson, living memory of so many small and big stories of the monarchy and Spanish society.
After the formal greeting to the kings, the hundred attendees go to the gala dining room, created by Alfonso XII, which joins three rooms of the palace, with marble columns, 15 bronze lamps and 17 pitchers (large ornamental containers) chinese people
The 90-year-old Venezuelan poet Rafael Cadenas, Cervantes Prize 2022, sits with the King. In the opening words that Felipe VI dedicates to him, he says that his poetry “is attached to life, it is born involuntarily from life and becomes an expression of its reality, which knows failure, defeat, loneliness and exile , but also the highest feelings of the human being”.
The King encourages celebrating “the enormous vitality of the Spanish language, to which you all contribute. He then proposed a toast to the winner, but, anecdotal moment… there was only water in the glasses. “We will toast when there is the possibility to do so”, he resolved pragmatically (he did it later with the writer).
Salmorejo of roasted tomatoes, with bonito belly and herring roe; roasted sirloin with seasonal vegetable puff pastry; frisuelos filled with apple cream.
And at coffee time, the little groups. Kings, as is known, are good readers. Queen LetÃcia speaks at length with the editor of Acantilado, Sandra Ollo; and surprises Laura Ferrero by telling her that she has had very good references from her recent novel Los astronautas. With King Philip there is talk of Denmark, England, where he will soon go for the coronation of Charles III. Carme Riera, Andreu Claret, Olga Merino and the most recent Josep Pla awardee, Gemma Ventura, listen to it. As always, the event ends as punctually as it began.
