Queen Letizia purchased some books by Stefan Zweig, Edgar Allan Poe, Gilbert K. Chesterton, Ambrose Bierce, and one by Rafael Cansado during her visit to the Madrid Book Fair at La Cuesta de Moyano, in celebration of its centenary.
Therefore, the founder and director of the Citizens’ Association of Cuesta, Lara Sánchez, told Europa Press that the monarch bought «At least eight books.» Sources from the royal household also provided the titles to Europa Press: «The Bookseller» by Stefan Zweig, «Letters of a Poet (1826-1849)» by Edgar Allan Poe, «Monsters and Logic» by Gilbert K. Chesterton, «Fantastic Factions» by Ambrose Bierce, and one by Rafael Tesons, among others.
–She is very affectionate, very approachable. She is a very good reader and knew exactly what she was looking at. I was very careful because she might have seen a book she wanted to read, but she said, «It will all take me.» She joked about this and then expressed concern for the future of Moyano,» said the amusing Lara Sánchez.
Accompanied by authorities such as the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun; the President of the Madrid community, Isabel Díaz Ayuso; and the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, Queen Letizia arrived at the slope around 11:00 in the morning and after greeting some authors, toured the 30 booths that make up the fair, which has been held for 11 years.
Prior to the visit, writers such as journalist Mara Torres, Rosa Montero, Edu Galán, Javier Sierra, Espido Freire, and Carlos del Amor met with Letizia, who engaged with them, particularly showing affection towards Mara Torres, who dedicated another book to her.
Although the Queen purchased these books in cash, at the end of the visit, the president of the Madrid Book Fair Association at La Cuesta de Moyano and the founder of Cuesti presented Letizia with several editions of «Erased from the Books» from the fair, as a token of appreciation for her visit, which he described as a «boost.»
Specifically for the Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofía, the bookstores selected a limited edition, color-illustrated edition of «The Lord of the Rings» by JRR Tolkien, of which there are only 200 units.
Additionally, a first edition of «The Young Lady» (1885) by Emilia Pardo Bazán, and the «Selected Works» of Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and Patricia Brönte, the Brönte siblings. Also, two first editions by Baroja, in Dutch: «The World is a Whim» and «Goodnight.»
Letizia only purchased books at some of the stands but engaged with the owners throughout the open area. This was the case at Booth 24, where the Queen had a «personal» conversation with Carlos, the owner, rather than discussing books.
«We didn’t talk about books with her. I am a new concessionaire, I have been working here for many years, but as an independent bookstore in a position. And she asked me, what is it like to operate a stand here? What is our daily work like? And well, if we are doing it right,» explained the owner to Europa Press.
Lara Sánchez specifically noted the interest the Queen showed in the future of the fair. «The visit was very close. She knew perfectly well what Moyano represents and was concerned about its future,» she added.
In this regard, the future of the bookstores, according to Sánchez, is «uncertain» and «Depends on the support of the authorities» to ensure they can continue selling comfortably here.
–We are very concerned because continuous rains prevent us from selling. We do not know if climate change will mark before and after this centenary fair, and we will have to work with the authorities to adapt the concession conditions so that the bookstore can remain viable when sales are not as high. A concession agreement of thirty or fifty years is not the same as it used to be. Before, there was no Internet, there were no continuous rains or extreme heat, which also affect sales. I see the future as a struggle, as it has been recently, and as it will be in the near future and beyond,» she concluded.
