The Spanish-speaking world faces an intriguing set of challenges as we enter the second quarter of the century. In this edition the Bulletin’s expert contributors share their analysis for how these may play out, while also focusing on the mundo hispano‘s wondrous potential to foster creativity and well-being.
For the latter, we look at the wide-ranging benefits of walking the Camino de Santiago, whether or not you have a religious motivation for doing so. Beware: this article may seriously affect your travel plans.
If you’re interested in travel, read our exclusive extract from William Chislett’s forthcoming Los curiosos impertinentes: hispanófilos intrépidos británicos for insights into how the Spanish have been welcoming / enduring British visitors since the late 18th century [in Spanish].
Just as travel offers a break from everyday concerns, so too does sport – especially when it involves the kind of artistry that Rafael Nadal exhibited during his 20 years at the top. We reflect on his achievements and his significance in Spanish culture as he retires from competitive tennis [versions in both Spanish and English].
Pedro Almodóvar is another icon of contemporary Spain. In this edition, we ask why his latest feature film is in English, and assess where to place it in his cinematic repertoire.
The small screen also offered a treat for hispanists over the 2024/5 holiday period, with Netflix airing its film of Pedro Páramo and the first half of its 16-episode adaptation of García Márquez’s Cien años de soledad (One hundred years of solitude). We assess these productions and ask whether television can truly capture the magic of magical realist literature.
2025 marks fifty years since the end of the Franco dictatorship. We look at how Spain’s pre-eminent 19th century novelist Galdós and 20th century playwright Lorca foreshadowed the conflict that would bring about the Civil War and the subsequent dictatorship.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has set an anti-Fascist tone for this year’s commemoration of the dictatorship’s demise. We look also at how novelist Almudena Grandes and lyricist Joaquín Sabina reflected life under a dictatorship in their work.
At a global level David Rieff, the eminent war correspondent, author and original thinker, assesses moral and political trends both in the Americas and further afield at a time when human history is proving anything but a march of progress [versions in both Spanish and English].
Demagogic political leaders are nothing new in the Spanish-speaking world, but there has only been one ‘first lady’ able to match or even exceed her husband’s popular appeal. We look at Eva Perón’s legacy in Argentine politics and culture [in Spanish].
Mexico features prominently in this edition – starting with an in-depth look at how the country has responded to the challenge of AI.
We also tap into the ‘Conociendo nuestra cultura’ [Learning about our culture] programme at UC Berkeley, one of the world’s leading universities, to discover the ways in which Mexico is managing to sustain its massive population and ecological wellbeing.
The Bulletin of Advanced Spanish is a free resource, read on every continent, written by and for enthusiasts at all stages of their exploration of the language and culture of the Spanish-speaking world. Please see the Guidelines tab if you would like to write for us. Articles for our summer edition should please reach us by the end of April.
The BAS editorial team
Bulletin of Advanced Spanish 