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Spanish editor Manuel Borrás celebrates 50 years of Pre-Textos in Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina /Culture & Society

Spanish editor Manuel Borrás celebrates 50 years of Pre-Textos in Buenos Aires

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Spanish editor Manuel Borrás is in Buenos Aires for the 50th anniversary of his publishing house, Pre-Textos.
  • Borrás will give a lecture on his experiences as an editor and his connection to Argentine literature.
  • Pre-Textos has published numerous Argentine authors, and Borrás notes that the publishing house receives significant recognition in Argentina.

Spanish editor Manuel Borrás, at the helm of the renowned Pre-Textos publishing house, is visiting Buenos Aires to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the imprint. Borrás, who co-directs the press with Manuel Ramírez Giménez and Silvia Pratdesaba, will deliver a lecture titled “Shared Readings: Experiences of a Spanish Editor with Argentine Literature” at the Argentine Academy of Letters (AAL).

First, to see my friends, and then to reciprocate the tributes we are receiving for the fiftieth anniversary of Pre-Textos.

— Manuel BorrásExplaining the reasons for his visit to Buenos Aires.

Pre-Textos has established itself as a significant cultural reference in the Hispanic American landscape, recognized for its consistent quality and commitment to its catalog. The publishing house has featured works by prominent Argentine authors such as Olga Orozco, Alberto Girri, Francisco Madariaga, and María Negroni, among many others. Borrás himself is described by AAL president Rafael Felipe Oteriño as an "exquisite reader" who is meticulous about the quality of translations.

We are celebrated more on this shore than on mine. And needless to say, our gratitude for this.

— Manuel BorrásReflecting on the reception of Pre-Textos's 50th anniversary celebrations in Argentina compared to Spain.

Borrás expressed his gratitude for the warm reception in Argentina, noting that Pre-Textos seems to be celebrated more there than in Spain. He highlighted recent tributes at the Spanish Cultural Center and the University of Buenos Aires, where he participated in roundtables with fellow publishers. The visit to the AAL is also part of these acknowledgments.

Argentine poetry has always been an object of interest in the Iberian Peninsula, although as always with its ups and downs.

— Manuel BorrásCommenting on the historical interest in Argentine poetry in Spain.

Looking ahead, Borrás anticipates returning in October for further celebrations at the University of Salvador and the Catholic University of Argentina. He also commented on the fluctuating interest in Argentine poetry in Spain, suggesting that such interest often depends on perceived benefits, a situation he finds regrettable. Borrás's visit underscores the deep literary connections between Spain and Argentina and the enduring impact of Pre-Textos on contemporary literature.

That is to say, America often, and I am sorry to say it, is an object of desire whenever it offers us benefits. Something quite sad.

— Manuel BorrásCritiquing the transactional nature of cultural interest.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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