Reading Spanish at Cambridge

The magical letter containing an offer to study Spanish at Cambridge University will have just dropped onto the doormat of the chosen few hopefuls that I interviewed before Christmas. There will be an air of euphoria, mixed with a good deal of apprehension at the thought of actually being accepted to study at one of the world's greatest universities. I am often asked exactly what it takes to gain a place to read Spanish at Cambridge, and the answer is a complex one. There are, of course, the tip top A level or IB predictions, and a personal statement on the application form which exudes enthusiasm and motivation. But the interview is crucial. In the twenty or so minutes candidates have available to make that indelible impression, I need to see that their spoken Spanish is excellent, that they have read books or watched films in the language, or if they are beginners, that they have explored, investigated, found something out about the subject they plan to devote themselves to for at least forty hours a week in term time. They need to persuade me of their passion to learn, and of their passion for things Hispanic. There is much more to Spanish than its beautiful sound when spoken. Spain is unquestionably a unique country within Europe, with an unparalleled Arabic and Jewish heritage overlaid upon its native Iberian soul. To me, it is the most fascinating of all European countries, the route through which Greek and Arabic learning passed to the rest of the continent in the Middle Ages. It has forged an extraordinary and multilayered identity out of invasion, colonization and civil war, set against a backdrop of  a powerful and dramatic geographical and topographical landscape. When I meet those young people who have just opened their acceptance letters, I hope they will join me on an unequalled journey of intellectual and cultural exploration of this singular and remarkable land.

A tourist in Granada

Granada is Spain's top tourist spot at all times of year. The glamorous beauty of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada which rises above the ancient city with its world-famous Moorish palace and Renaissance cathedral gives it instant appeal. The Alhambra palace used to be one of the seven wonders of the world, and countless coachloads of visitors arrive week after week to be beguiled by its enchanting architecture and gardens. But if you go off the beaten track and wander up the steep and winding road through the gypsy quarter known as the Sacromonte, up the hillside along the river Darro, you will come to one of Granada's best kept secrets and treasures, the abbey of the Sacromonte. Perched on the hill overlooking both the Alhambra and the city with the dual domes of the cathedral and the new mosque, the abbey was founded in 1610 by the Archbishop of Granada, Don Pedro de Castro, to house the priceless relics of Christian martyrs found in old Torre Turpiana, and to guard the mysterious Lead Books, strange archaelogical artefacts discovered buried on the hill where the abbey stands. The abbey has been uppermost in my mind this week as I revise my new book which tells the story of these relics and lead texts, to be published later this year.
On a dark, wild, cold night in December in England, I am remembering with pleasure the tranquil beauty of Granadan abbey, and my kind and lovely friends who work there, former abbot Don Juan Sanchez and Dr Marisa Garcia Valverde, who helped me in my researches. !Feliz Navidad!

Medieval witch cures November blues

Cambridge has become damp and dismal in the last week of the university term. November has suddenly closed in on tired students and lecturers as they summon the last dregs of energy in lectures, classes and supervisions, and as a Hispanist, my thoughts have started to turn from translating Castilian into English and the finer points of Cervantes' prose to the golden beaches and gentle seas of the warmer regions of the Spanish peninsula. But reading my students' essays on Fernando de Rojas' great late fifteenth-century masterpiece 'La Celestina' has unexpectedly revived me! Their lively, refreshing takes on the evil old bawd who gave her name to the work has reinforced my sense of the power and importance of studying not only literature, but in particular the literature of earlier periods. This vibrant tale of tragic love and prostitution where aristocrats and whores rub shoulders not only gives us an insight into the class and gender struggles of their time, but offers us a subversive glimpse of a topsy-turvy world in which social and religious prejudice destroys both rich and poor. It is a window onto a forgotten world of witchcraft and chivalry, but it is also a tale for our time, and reminds us of the vital ways in which literature can show us our humanity.  So thank you to my students and to the wily Celestina for perking up the end of the Michaelmas term!