In this week's podcast we head off to Spain with the biographer and journalist Giles Tremlett to find out where the heart of Spanish publishing lies. He leads us away from the capital, Madrid, to the Catalan city of Barcelona, which emerged from years of Franco-era oppression to become the intellectual hub of the country. Writers and publishers outline the troubled history behind this surprising state of affairs, and explain why Spanish writers are still so obsessed with the legacy of the Spanish civil war. We also take some tips from our World literature tourists on the essential Spanish books.
Many Catalans were for decades forbidden to write, or even speak, in their own language, forcing them to become "exophonic". But political oppression is not the only reason writers resort to writing in a second language – as the prize-winning poet George Szirtes explains. He tells us why, though he was born in Hungary, he has done all his writing in English.
Reading list
Homage to Barcelona by Colm Tóibín (Picador)
Offside by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán (Serpent's Tail)
The Carpenter's Pencil by Manuel Rivas (Vintage)
Soldiers of Salamis by Javier Cercas (Bloomsbury)
New and Collected Poems and The Burning of the Books and Other Poems by George Szirtes (Bloodaxe)
