<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Caja de las Letras (Box of Letters) at the Cervantes Institute opened its doors this past Monday to receive the legacy in memoriam of writer Carmen Martín Gaite on the occasion of the centenary of her birth. The legacy includes one of her signature berets, correspondence with writer Juan Benet, and several of her out-of-print works.</strong></h4> Participating in the legacy were the director of the Cervantes Institute, Luis García Montero, and the vice president of the Martín Gaite Foundation, Patricia Caprile. Also present as honorary witnesses were the Ombudsman, Ángel Gabilondo; the author of Martín Gaite's biography, José Teruel; and the Secretary of State for Culture, Jordi Martí. For García Montero, this event is "very important" as it serves to "maintain the presence of Martín Gaite in the roots of Cervantes," who from the beginning of his writing was "a fundamental reference for Spanish-language readers." “I have very vivid memories of her personality, and I fully understand why, when I went to the Book Fair, her presence was an event for all readers,” noted the institution's director. García Montero also highlighted the importance of postwar Spain in her work. “The disruption caused by the dictatorship and the transition to democracy invited us to try to recognize the different experiences of those who had been raised under a dictatorship and those who needed to live freely within the energy of democracy. And Martín Gaite knew how to live this sentimental education in her role as a narrator, novelist, and essayist,” he added. The legacy donated by the Martín Gaite Foundation and José Teruel himself includes the seven volumes of the author's “Complete Works,” the first three copies of which are out of print. This compilation includes a prologue by literary critic José Carlos Mainer. Likewise, box number 1609 receives a copy of the out-of-print edition of Correspondence between Carmen Martín Gaite and Juan Benet, edited by José Teruel. “These letters can serve as a poetic self-affirmation in the face of great male icons of her generation,” Teruel explained. One of the writer's berets and its corresponding brooch has also been deposited. “I think it's a very significant object of her public representation, as she was very theatrical as a way of surviving,” Teruel remarked. “She was much more than a beret, although the image we have of the beloved, respected, and recognized author is with her. We hope she continues to live, read, and shared by everyone for many more years to come,” stated the foundation's vice president, Patricia Caprile. <h5><strong>Carmen Martín Gaite</strong></h5> Carmen Martín Gaite (Salamanca, December 8, 1925 – Madrid, July 23, 2000), a Spanish writer with a degree in Philosophy and Literature from the University of Salamanca, moved to Madrid in 1950. There she met Ignacio Aldecoa, who introduced her to the literary circle that would eventually become known as the Generation of '55 or the Postwar Generation. In 1955, she published her first work, "El balneario," and won the Café Gijón Prize for it. Two years later, she received the Nadal Prize for "Entre visillos." After writing several plays, such as "A palo seco" (1957) and "La hermana pequeña" (1959), she continued her work in fiction with "Las ataduras" (1960), "Ritmo lento" (1963), and "Retahílas" (1974), among other novels. With "El cuarto de atrás," she won the National Literature Prize in 1978, becoming the first woman to do so. She has followed a long list of prestigious awards: the Prince of Asturias Award in 1988, the National Literature Prize in 1994, the Gold Medal from the Círculo de Bellas Artes in 1997, and the Silver Pen from the Círculo de la Escritura in 1999, among others.
