LITERARY CAFES IV

Following one of your comments,  here you have an entry on three cafes with sculptures of their most famous clients.

CAFÉ IRUÑA in  PAMPLONA

Founded in 1888 by a group of locals, Café Iruña was the first cafe with electric light in Pamplona, ​​"opened to the public on the eve of San Fermín” said chronicles of the time. Since then it has been a meeting place for locals and foreigners who want to follow the steps of American writer Ernest Hemingway in search of the places he went to the nine times he visited the city.

CAFÉ NOVELTY in SALAMANCA

Founded in 1905, Novelty is the oldest cafe in Salamanca. For more than a century it has been a referent in the social, political and cultural life of the city. Among its most renowned clients we can highlight writers such Miguel de Unamuno, Carmen Martín Gaite and Gonzalo Torrente Ballester, the latter having a life-size sculpture on one of its sofas.

CAFÉ A BRASILEIRA in LISBON

The Café A Brasileira is one of the oldest and most famous cafes in the old quarter of Lisbon.  It was a meeting point for intellectuals and academics in the first half of the 20^th century, including Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, the writers Aquilino Ribeiro and Alfredo Pimenta.

A bronze statue of Fernando Pessoa, by sculptor Lagoa Henriques, was eventually placed outside the cafe in 1988, even though, ironically, Pessoa considered the Café Martinho da Arcada (on the Praça do Comércio , founded in 1782), as his favorite cafe.

LIVE CHAT with Carlos Ruíz Zafón on the Guardian website

Today, between 2pm and 3pm, Carlos Ruíz Zafón, author of Shadow of the Wind has answered various sorts of questions about his books, writing and influences:

Any advice for a new author?

Do you listen to music when you write?

Any hobby confessable?

Carlos Ruíz Zafón replies:

Write, write and write. And then rewrite. To death. Work hard. Learn your craft. Never give up. Persevere. Don't become a snob, a bitter hater or an envious person. Work hard for your goals. Write from your heart, but make sure before it gets to your fingers it goes through your brain. And did I mention do not give up?

Music is what I most in the world, so I have to be careful when writing to it because my mind wanders into the orchestrations, the bassline... Sometimes I do, yes. But in a deeply controlled way.

Confessable hobbies? Playing and writing music, watching the world go by, chasing beauty and knowledge and doing nothing at all.

I am sorry, but I cannot read your book for obvious legal reasons. You want an editor or an agent to do that. Best of luck.

To read more questions and the author’s answers, click here.

ANGELA CARTER'S The Bloody Chamber ILLUSTRATED

The 2012 Book Illustration Competition is devoted to the last book we've read: Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber"

The Guardian has published illustrations by the 6 artists shortlisted for the contest. Click here to take a look at them!

Who do you think will win? Which illustration(s) do you like best? Why?

I really like them all but my fave would be Igor Karash.

His illustration of "The Bloody Chamber" wonderfully captures one of the most disturbing aspects of the story: the narrator sense of doubleness under the sinister gaze of her husband.

Enjoy!

HOLIDAY READS

Summertime is approaching and this means more opportunities to lose oneself in a good book.

We all look forward to the long, warm days, the lure of the hammock or the beach towel, or even the train seat…

I’ve already started my summer reading list, which includes theatre plays, novels and short stories:

-          Fanfan by Alexandre Jardin

-          Leviathan by Paul Auster

-          Hamlet Machine by Heine Müller

-          Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter

-          The Complete Plays by Sarah Kane

-          The Little Black Book of Stories by A.S. Byatt

-          Todo lo que tengo lo llevo conmigo de Herta Müller

Click on the links below to find various selections of summer reads:

CNN

THE GUARDIAN

Oprah's summer reading list

GOOD READS

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Click HERE  to read about some British writers' most memorable holiday reads!

 What about you? What titles do you recommend? Have you chosen any book to read? Please, let us know!

LITERARY CAFES III

CAFE DE L'OPERA in Barcelona

This is a historic cafe on Las Ramblas. Situated opposite the Liceu Theatre, Cafe de l'Opera has a sumptuous modernist interior with neo-classical details, and offers a relaxed ambiance for enjoying one of Barcelona's most emblematic streets.

CAFE EL COMERCIAL in Madrid

 

Founded in 1887, this cafe is the oldest continuously operating cafe in Madrid - was popular with impoverished writers and became an intellectual refuge during Franco's rule. It still retains a bohemian air.

CAFE LES DEUX MAGOTS in Paris

 

Now a popular tourist spot, Les Deux Magots is known as Hemingway's favorite spot in Paris. But the St. Germain-des-Pres cafe also served many other legendary writers and artists, including Rimbaud, Simone de Beauvoir, André Gide, Jean Giraudoux, Jean Paul Sartre, and even Picasso. It's one of the oldest cafes in Paris, and pays tribute to its old but polished heritage in its current design and character.