Chesterton, Zweig and Poe, the Queen’s purchases during his visit to the Moyano slope, who is 100 years old | People
They say, that they know the subject, that cold hens put less eggs. Even when it rains or when it’s hot. Something similar lives the booksellers of the Cuesta de MoyanoThat permanent fair of the outdoor book next to the Botanical Garden of Madrid, which brought the storm and various vicissitudes to sell their books. And they turn 100 this year. Their gray stands resist, stoic, open every day of the year, always waiting for a reader or bibliophile in search of editions, occasional news or books that coexist in a meticulous disorder. This Friday the Queen Letizia To travel from top to bottom the 30 positions, in another act of the many organized to celebrate the centenary of La Cuesta, which is satisfied this Sunday.
Hours earlier, the day had already been specially guessed. It was the first official visit of the Royal House to Moyano and the protagonists defined the event as “historian”. Lookros of a life, third or fourth generation under the command of the same stand for a hundred years, other new owners – the most courageous – and even some pensioners who have returned to his love to greet the queen in his stand. Some galas, others not so much because, as he heard out of a position, “today he did not touch”. The famous fair has never been unaware of visiting the stars. Illustrious characters like José Ortega y Gasset, Ernest HemingwayMaría Zambrano, Pío Baroja, Gómez de la Serna, Azorín, Patti Smith or García Lorca. “The most read in Madrid,” said Francisco Umbral once of her and since then the Fair uses the phrase as a motto.
It is a point of reference for the culture of Madrid and the literary world, but it is in crisis for years and yours is a story of resistance. “Today it is very difficult to sell a book. We are happy that the queen comes because it is a recognition of the work we have done for a hundred years,” says Paloma Grimaldos, head of House 24 since 2002. “This has never happened, it is never welcomed with joy, it always comes well,” says Isabel Sánchez, behind the box 6. With them all the coinide.
They are also aware of the habit of reading Letizia and doubt the possible recommendations to do it. “It’s a bit frightening because I understand that I read a lot and I don’t know what you read or not,” says Efrén Benítez, specialized in news. Some others get wet: “Faulknersome American writers, Crematorium From Chirbes Signed by him “, Jorge Rodríguez Ventures, behind stand 18, and Paloma Grimaldos presumes a book in the history of the Bourboni -” Even if I imagine that he will be more interested in the husband “, jokes.
The truth is that the queen took only three cabins to buy the first copy. Before warning his companions: “I am careful what to play because it is interpreted then …”. Perhaps this is why his team preferred to place the press about 15 meters from the entourage and passers -by, as curious, asked “who is it?”, Mobile in hand and hitting jumps to reach to see. Letizia came out with The old book sellerFrom Stefan Zweig; Monsters and logicDe Chesterton; Letters from a poet (1826-1849)From Edgar Allan Poe; y Fantastic fairy talesby Ambrose Bierce. The organization also gave him two first editions of Pío Baroja, The nights of good retirement y The world is anxious, And for the daughters, a limited edition illustrated in color by the author of The Lord of the Ringsa first edition of The young woman and the Selected works of Carlota, Emilia, Ana and Patricio Brönte.
Lara Sánchez, president of Soy de la cuesta association He led the tour in which they were also the Minister of Culture, Ernest Utatasun; María José Gálvez, general manager of the book, reading and comics of the government of Spain; the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sport of the Community of Madrid, Mariano De Paco; The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez Almeida; Del.
“It was like going with a reading friend. He was very kind and he knew everything from the fair,” says Sánchez. The queen spoke with all business book dealers and, says the president of the association, “worried about Moyano’s situation”. He crossed the microphones of the Ser chain and declared his love on the radio, with which he wakes up every morning, and for books, a hobby for which he disturbs it that they call it “old”. He also promised, says some books, “a private visit” to which he is one of the only two streets at the street level still active in Europe. The other, los Books from Paris, on the banks of the SeineUNESCO World Heritage and this has been there for 500 years – the president of Cultural Association of BooksJérôme Callais was also on the tour.
Twin among the fairs
A day before, Thursday, the two historical fairs were twin in an event that was held in French Institute of Spain, In Madrid. An event that served to remember the anecdotes of those who mean the experience of walking among the stands in search of books. Some are improbable as surprising. Like when a BookmarkCallais said, found in the Parisian fair an edition of a Balzac book dedicated by the great French novelist. He bought it, of course. But for less than what I would have spent in a coffee in the French capital: 6 euros. Or an original edition of Madame Bovary – Your price must be around 1,000 euros – for 20 years. That essence detective He also defended it Guillermo Blázquez, bookshop for life and now more bibliophile than anything else, in the same event: “You can find books for 1 euro, ancient books. And I’m sure everyone, when we start, we make mistakes. You can find real occasions. I, in particular, I sold books that I didn’t know what I didn’t know at that moment. It is usually very common.”
This, which does not exist elsewhere, is what Lara Sánches defends and for which it organized, among other things, the visit this Friday. “It was very difficult to arrive here, there was a lot of struggle,” says the president. The slope closed only a couple of weeks in 1939, at the end of the civil war and during Covid who “almost loaded it”. “Moyano deserves the dignity of events like this. We have worked tirelessly and we are happy because we see the results”, continues Sánchez overflowing with emotions.
“The sun came out,” he breathed at the beginning of the tour and says that “he prayed”, as a journalist who is also, for the Pope to go out on Thursday and not to take relevance for his event. Leo XIV paid attention to him and the time gave respite. He led the struggle for the survival of Cuesta for five years, claiming the rights to the authorities and spreading the work of retailers. Maybe that’s why your answer to the question about what desire do you want for the slope?, Is unexpected. “My greatest desire is to stop raining,” he says. And justifies it: “With the rain you cannot sell. That the Climate change No longer roofs than you are mounting. No rent. They didn’t sell anything in March, Holy Week or May. My greatest desire is that we all work, citizenship and politicians, to stop climate change to a certain extent. “For the activity of the book fairs at street level, such as Gallins, extreme climates are not good. Another problem of the many who have been overcome.
