The University of Alcalá de Henares (UAH) and the town of Cervantes in Madrid celebrate the great festival of letters. Books and reading in Spanish flood Alcala’s cultural activity, under the umbrella of the Festival de la Palabra. This week culminates with the visit of Kings Felipe VI and Letizia, who preside over the Cervantes Award ceremony for the 93-year-old Venezuelan poet Rafael Cadenas. The big event was this Monday, April 24, at 12:00 p.m. in the Auditorium of the University of Alcalá.
Doña Letizia, an avid reader, finds in this solemn act one of her great annual appointments with literature. This is the context. Let’s go royal style. For this celebration of the 2023 Miguel de Cervantes Award, Doña Letizia avoids large prints. She resorts to dresses. No skirts or pants. Dresses. They are usually pieces in solid, opaque and powerful colours, such as ink blue (such a literary colour) or mauve (so spring-like). He also often resorts to Carolina Herrera. I thought that, because of sharing homeland with this year’s winner, perhaps the Queen would repeat the option of the Venezuelan designer.
However, the choice of Doña Letizia went further. Swing of style in this Cervantes. She has opted for a romantic chalk green dress by Vogana, which has a false capeline and strategic cuts on her sleeves. He debuted this subtle and airy design with small polka dots this past National Holiday, October 12, 2022.
Alcalá de Henares celebrates letters
The Miguel de Cervantes Prize, the highest recognition for Spanish and Latin American writers, is awarded at the UAH every year on April 23, the day that Cervantes’ death is commemorated. However, this year it has been moved to Monday the 24th.
Both the university and the city council of the Madrid town pay literary tribute to the winner, Rafael Cadenas, with numerous activities, such as book presentations, conferences on his legacy and dance, theater, film and music performances.