The Sobremesa Podcast The Sobremesa Podcast

Heidi Backes joins Alan to discuss the haunted houses, silent spaces and traumatic memories often seen in post-Franco gothic fiction, such as in Carlos Ruiz Zafón's international bestseller The Shadow of the Wind.' Her new book Spectral Spain looks at how Gothic literature has become a leading genre in contemporary Spain - one capable of confronting the traumatic memories of the country's past.

If you enjoy what we produce then please give us a review on your preferred podcast platform and consider donating to our buy me a coffee fund to help the podcast be more sustainable.

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey



Books mentioned in the episode:


Adelaida García Morales: "Aunt Águeda" ("La tía Águeda") and "Elisa's Secret" ("El secreto de Elisa")

Julio Llamazares: "The Yellow Rain" ("La lluvia amarilla")

Ana María Matute: "Uninhabited Paradise" ("Paraíso inhabitado")

Carlos Ruiz Zafón: "Prisoner of Heaven" ("El prisionero del cielo")


More about her book here
Heidi Backes examines haunting as the perfect motif for Spanish authors to portray the tension between modernity and the imposition of a nationalized tradition throughout the twentieth century—noting not just the trauma of the civil war and the resulting dictatorship of Franco, but also the continuing and widespread disenchantment during and after the transition. It is a study of multiple manifestations of individual and collective trauma in texts written after the transition, which will assist readers’ understanding of the relationships between Gothic fear, trauma, and spectrality.



Link to publisher's site https://www.uwp.co.uk/book/spectral-spain/

Alan is joined by the podcast's new co-host Laura Seoane, together they talk with political philosopher Tim Syme about the results of the European election, Yolanda Diaz's resignation, the breakthrough of Se Acabó la Fiesta (SALF) and what a rightward shift means for the European Union.



If you enjoy what we produce then please give us a review on your preferred podcast platform and consider donating to our buy me a coffee fund to help the podcast be more sustainable.

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

This week Eoghan talks to researcher and sociologist Iago Moreno about the evolution of online politics in Spain from the techno-optimist vision of the 15M movement in 2011, with its promise of networked democracy, to the rise of the contemporary fachosfera - the far-right and reactionary online eco-system. Iago also talks about the emergence of a new extremist platform to the right of Vox, Se acabó la fiesta, led by reactionary influencer Alvise Pérez.



If you enjoy what we produce then please give us a review on your preferred podcast platform and consider donating to our buy me a coffee fund to help the podcast be more sustainable.



https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

This week Catherine talks to historian Brendan Von Briesen about how the organisation of skilled labour in medieval and early modern Barcelona, in the form of journeyman's guilds, can be seen as the foundation of the city's later labour and trade union movement.

If you enjoy what we produce then please give us a review on your preferred podcast platform and consider donating to our buy me a coffee fund to help the podcast be more sustainable.



https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

This week Eoghan is joined by historian Andrew Dowling to discuss yesterday's historic Catalan election, which saw a definitive end to the decade long push for independence known as the procés.


For the first time since 2012, the pro-independence parties failed to secure a majority of seats in the new parliament. As the Socialists secured historic gains, the progressive nationalist vote collapsed, with the incumbent ERC suffering heavier than expect losses as  the centre of gravity within the independence bloc also shifted right towards Junts. Yet, it remains far from clear what the exact makeup of the next the Catalan government will be.



If you enjoy what we produce then please give us a review on your preferred podcast platform and consider donating to our buy me a coffee fund to help the podcast be more sustainable.


https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

This week Alan is joined by culture critic and researcher Anita Fuentes to discuss Spanish celebrities and politics.

Should celebrities use their platforms to stand up for injustices like the genocide in Palestine and a recent revival in the Spanish MeToo movement?

Furthermore, Rosalia is often claimed to have a progressive image, but is she? From real estate to cultural appropriation much would indicate that she isn't. We look at the reality behind the image of Spain's largest international star today.

If you enjoy what we produce then please give us a review on your preferred podcast platform and consider donating to our buy me a coffee fund to help the podcast be more sustainable.


https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey