Spain

The British Embassy in Spain has led the network of embassies for the ELML transfers, funded under the FCDO’s Soft Power Challenge Fund.

The Spanish pop-up majors on texts written by Spanish authors across the ages – in Castilian, Catalan, and Gallego – from the big turn-of-the-century writers Pio Baroja and Benito Pérez Galdós to prolific Josep Pla, from journalist in exile Manuel Chaves Nogales to international bestseller Javier Marías and celebrated contemporary author Irene Solà.

For its first round of in-country programming in 2025, the embassy teamed up with Ámbito Cultural, the arts programming arm of Spain’s leading department store chain El Corte Inglés.

In Seville, the Lost & Found exhibition was officially opened by His Majesty’s Ambassador to Spain, Alex Ellis, at the prestigious Hay Festival Forum Sevilla. The exhibition, which ran from 13 February to 3 March 2025, gave festival audiences the chance to explore London as the creative hub, place of exile, temporary home for European writers across generations.

After that, the pop-up displays travelled to Santiago de Compostela – where Galician author Marilar Aleixandre spoke, on her own work and on behalf of fellow writers Xesús Fraga and Eva Moreda – all three featured on the map.

The exhibition also visited Valencia, before returning to Madrid for the Night of Books, on 25 April 2025, with associated readings by poet Gonzalo Escapa.

The map will make its next appearance at the Hay Festival in Segovia on 13 September 2025 – with a panel discussion featuring writers Marta Rebón and William Chislett, and ELML curator and UCL academic Uta Staiger.