Juan Gelman presented with the Cervantes prize on the Day of the Book in Spain

Juan Gelman presented with the Cervantes prize on the Day of the Book in Spain
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By h.b. - Apr 23, 2008 - 2:59 PM

Juan Gelman during his acceptance speech for the Cervantes Prize today - Photo EFE

It's the fourth time that an Argentinean has won the Cervantes prize.

Wednesday is the Dia del Libro in Spain, celebrated on the anniversary of the death of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, who died in Madrid on April 23 1616.
It’s also the day that the ceremony is held to present the year’s winner of the Cervantes Prize, Spain’s highest literary honour.

This year was the 32nd edition of the prize, and the winner, the Argentinean poet, Juan Gelman, was presented with his award by King Juan Carlos in a ceremony held at the Alcalá de Henares University where the Minister for Culture, César Antonio Molina and the Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, were both also present.

Juan Gelman was born in Buenos Aires in 1939. In his acceptance speech he defended the validity of poetry in what he called ‘these materialistic times of poverty’. He noted that every three and a half seconds a child under five dies somewhere in the world from a curable disease, hunger and poverty. He said poetry stood up to such death and also considered that the wounds of the Argentinean dictatorship were still not healed. His son and seven month pregnant daughter in law were killed by the military in 1976. He’s the fourth Argentinean to win the Cervantes.

The Premio Cervantes is the main event of the day in Spain, but in Cataluña the day is celebrated with lovers exchanging books and roses on the Dia de San Jordi. 600 booksellers in Barcelona set up stalls in the streets in an effort to take books closer to the public, giving a rose with each book sold.

The Catalan Regional Government, La Generalitat, invites you to send a virtual rose to your lover, in English if you want, here.

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