Spanish writer on literature and journalism
SPANISH writer Alfonso Armada conducted a talk in Manila for the “Encuentros en la literature” (Encounters in Literature) program organized by Instituto Cervantes, with the collaboration of the Embassy of Spain and the Philippine Chapter of the PEN Club.
Entitled “The Only Limit Between Journalism and Literature is... Truth,” the event was held on November 6 at the Intramuros branch of Instituto Cervantes de Manila.
Armada believes “it is possible to do great literature by doing excellent journalism.” In his talk, the Spanish writer elaborated on the closed links between journalism and literature, and “the pact that the journalist signs with the readers: you can invent nothing. The search for truth is the goal.” In times of disinformation and “fake news,” he asserts that “honest journalism is needed more than ever, since it’s the key to understanding reality that is as complex as it is exciting.”
“Encuentros” features a series of interactions and fora between writers of diverse cultures. It seeks to serve the local community’s cultural life through activities that contribute to the dynamic production of literary writing and the vibrant exchange of creative practices between cultures.
Armada was born in 1958 in Vigo, Spain. He studied journalism and theatre in Madrid. He worked for the Spanish newspapers El País (during which he covered
years) and ABC (for which he was a correspondent in New York). Among his books are Diccionario de Nueva York, Mar Atlántico, Diario de una travesía and Fracaso de Tánger.