<h6><b>The Diplomat</b></h6> <h4><strong>The Caja de las Letras of the Instituto Cervantes has received the legacy <em>in memoriam</em> of the writer Manuel Vázquez Montalbán (1939-2003), whose objects include his first published book, the collection of poems <em>Una educación sentimental</em> (<em>A Sentimental Education</em>) (1967), and original editions of some of his most notable works with dedications to the writer Juan Goytisolo and the editor Mario Muchnik.</strong></h4> The presentation ceremony, which took place last Tuesday, was attended by the director of the Instituto Cervantes, Luis García Montero, and the writer and friend of the honoree, Maruja Torres, along with the literary critic Jordi Gracia. Also present as honorary witnesses were the Secretary of State for Culture, Jordi Martí, and the politician and former MEP, Willy Meyer. Although Vázquez Montalbán's widow, Anna Sallés, was scheduled to attend the memorial, she was ultimately unable to attend due to an unforeseen event that forced her to remain in Barcelona. For García Montero, Vázquez Montalbán was a writer who, through his works, sought to "seek alternatives to the systems" he disliked, "monitoring the dynamics of power." She also praised his foray into detective fiction at a time when it was undervalued in Spain. "That meant choosing the tradition where a plot linked history with reality and a murder arose from a historical conflict, but also embracing a narrative novel that respected dialogue with readers and did not confuse clarity with aesthetic inquiry: it was a literary quality capable of telling stories." Vázquez Montalbán's legacy of work, recognized, among others, for his novels featuring the detective Pepe Carvalho, included the aforementioned collection of poems, <em>Una educación sentimental</em>, published by Ediciones Saturno. Likewise, the first edition of Castellet's poetry collection <em>Movimientos sin éxito</em> (1969) and the collection <em>Aquellos nueve novísimos</em> (<em>Those Nine Novísimos</em>), from 1988, were also included. The legacy also included the essay <em>Pamphlet from the Planet of the Apes</em>, published in 1995, and <em>Literature in the Construction of the Democratic City</em> (1998), one of his works dedicated to the editor Mario Muchnik and his partner, Nicole. Another of the essays included in the Caja de las Letras is <em>El escriba sentado</em> (<em>The Seated Scribe</em>) (1997), in this case dedicated by the author to the writer Juan Goytisolo. Vázquez Montalbán also dedicated the works Ciudad (City) and <em>Coplas a la muerte de mi tía Daniela</em> (<em>Couples on the Death of My Aunt Daniela</em>, 1973) to this novelist, which have also been bequeathed to the Cervantes Institution. The loan was completed with M<em>emory, Desire, and Compassion: An Approach to the Poetry of Manuel Vázquez Montalbán</em>, by Manuel Rico and dedicated by the author to the poet Jesús Munárriz, and <em>The Prize</em> (1996), also dedicated by Vázquez Montalbán to Mario Muchnik and Nicole. These books were followed by the 1973 volume <em>A La Sombra de las Muchachas Sin Flor [Poems of Love and Terror].</em> Vázquez Montalbán (1939-2003) began his literary career in 1967 with the publication of the poetry collection <em>Una educación sentimental</em> (A Sentimental Education), which led him to join the poetic circles that editor and critic Josep Castellet brought together in the anthology <em>Los nueve novísimos</em>. This author, who was interested in writing in all genres, with a certain preference for poetry, was responsible for the creation of the legendary protagonist of a series of detective novels, Pepe Carvalho. The character first appeared in <em>I Killed Kennedy</em> (1972), although his media breakthrough came with <em>The South Seas</em> (1979). His novels have been translated into more than 20 languages, and some, such as <em>Tattoo, The South Seas</em>, <em>Historias de Carvalho</em>, and <em>The Greek Labyrinth</em>, have been adapted for film and television. Winner of the National Fiction Prize, the Critics' Prize, the National Literature Prize, and the Planeta Prize, among other awards, there is a common thread running through all his work: the recovery of memory through social chronicles.
