Blog del Instituto Cervantes de Londres

In 1946, a journalist asked Professor Antonio Pastor about his favourite books. The Professor, who had recently been named Director of the Spanish Institute, answered with a great sense of humour, “My father’s chequebook and my mother’s recipe book”.

 The (pre)history of our library could start like this: in 1946 Franco’s Government, still ignored by the other foreign powers, decided to set up the Spanish Institute to thwart the influence of the Spanish Institute in London, directed by Pablo de Azcárate. Until the end of the Civil War, Pablo de Azcárate held the position of Spanish Ambassador to the UK in London. Once victory had been recognised by the British Government, it would then go on to be held by the Duke of Alba. 

Despite this recognition, in mid-May 1946 the opening of the Institute was coldly received by the British press. Professor Antonio Pastor, who stressed the nature of the Institute was cultural and non political, declared in the News Chronicle: “… this Institute will have the best Spanish library outside of Spain, with more than 8,000 books”. However, five days later the Daily Worker published a devastating cartoon in which the cultural activity of the Institute and the tragic bombing of Guernica were connected. In the picture, several youngsters introduced coffins inside “Franco’s Cultural Centre”. The caption was: “They are just a few historical records of Guernica”.

Since then, 64 years have passed. Today the library houses more than 30,000 items which are constantly being updated and which at the same time pay homage to all those who passed through here, contributing to our history. For example, Leopoldo Panero, cousin of Pablo de Azcárate, whose books and memoir can be found in our catalogue, was here as an Assistant Director.  Pablo Luis Cernuda, a good friend of the above, has also spent time here as has Salvador Madariaga, who have both left behind them not only a deep mark on London, but also their great work, which is magnificently represented in our collection. Anonymous donors also helped shape an important collection of books by British travellers in Spain, from the XVIII Century to the beginning of the XX Century, and also the librarians who have worked here, who have meticulously put together an interesting collection of documents about the Civil War. These few lines are also a great tribute to all of them. 

It is not surprising, due to its history and collections, in which it is important to highlight those that involve the history between Spain and Great Britain, that many researchers outside of the UK have contacted us for particular items. The majority of our users, however, are students and teachers of Spanish looking for manuals, grammar books, good literature, music, and of course Spanish and Latin American films. 

That project, which started in 1946, became the library of the Instituto Cervantes in London in 1991. Today the library is completely integrated into the city thanks, fundamentally, to its collaboration with ACLAIIR (Advisory Council on Latin American and Iberian Information Resources), and also with EUROLIS (group of librarians and members of the cultural institutes of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain, and members of CILIP in London) with which the Library of the Instituto Cervantes of London organises and takes part in seminars, exhibitions and working meetings.

So in conclusion, maybe our library is not yet “the best Spanish library abroad”, but we are working on it. Maybe what we need is a good chequebook, or maybe just some good recipe books.

Happy birthday, Mrs. Library!

Text in Spanish (.pdf)

*The Story of a Modern Woman is also a novel written by English author Ella Hepworth Dixon. The novel was first published in 1894. The novel is an example of the «New Woman» genre of late-Victorian England  (From Wikipedia)

We would like to thank the Associated Newspapers Limited for their kindly having allowed us to publish the article from the News Chronicle which we reproduce (in the image) above.