Books

Asking someone to name famous Spanish writers that tell the tales of the high seas is a question worth play on game shows for sure. A small list, it would most definitely include Cecilio Pineda Rodríguez, the eccentric writer and owner of Nostromo restaurant in Barcelona. The latest winner of the prestigious Mario Vargas Llosa prize for his second novel, El Ultimo Candray, Cecilio is hoping that author number increases as well as the popularity of sea stories in Spain. Interestingly enough, he started his writing career thanks to a “guiri” English teacher. “I was about 42 and the oldest in a low-level English class. We had to write a 1-page story. I decided to write about my time as a merchant marine. Of course, my teacher thoroughly marked up my work. Although it was poorly written in English, everyone in the class was intrigued by the tale. I went home and started to write it in my own language. Before I knew it I had 200 pages.” Cecilio is talking about his first novel, Gran Cabotaje, the precursor to El Ultimo Candray, and the first in what is shaping up to be a 3-book saga. El Ultimo Candray is “richer and has more characters and adventures than my first novel. It tells the story of a journey through Morocco, Brazil and Barcelona.” The book closes paying homage to the Catalan capital and Cecilio’s home since the age of 16. A lover of words that confound, the title is pure wordplay. When combined, can (lata) and dry (seca) forms a Spanish nickname for the shabby looking boats used by the marines. Cecilio hopes to see the work published in English, Portuguese and Italian. In the meantime, the Spanish version will get its official presentation in a March ceremony with Mario Vargas Llosa at the University of Murcia, followed by a big do in Barcelona.