The BA Hosts Spanish Writer Irene Vallejo
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Dr. Ahmed Abdullah Zayed, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, opened the dialogue session organized by the Library in collaboration with the Spanish Embassy, featuring Spanish writer Irene Vallejo and her book The Invention of Books: The Infinite in a Papyrus. The event witnessed the participation of Sergio Román Carranza Förster, the Spanish Ambassador to Egypt; Dr. Ahmed Mansour, Director of the BA Writing and Scripts Center; Dr. Osama Talaat, Director of the Egyptian National Library and Archives; and Dr. Mohamed El-Gamal, Director of the Center for Islamic Civilization Studies, together with a number of researchers, writers, and cultural enthusiasts.
Dr. Ahmed Zayed said that culture remains the cornerstone in shaping societal consciousness, despite the importance of the economy, politics, and social relations, as it is the most potent factor in ensuring continuity and forging the paths of development.
Meanwhile, the Spanish Ambassador to Egypt expressed his delight at being at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina for the second time, describing it as a cultural edifice that embodies the memory of human knowledge, housed in the city of Alexandria, which serves as a bridge connecting the civilizations and cultures of Mediterranean peoples.
Dr. Ahmed Mansour delivered a presentation titled “A World of Writings: The History of the Granite Wall at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina,” during which he discussed the mural, which is an integral part of the Library’s architectural design and features inscriptions in multiple languages including Braille, reflecting the richness and diversity of human heritage.
The session was moderated by Dr. Mohamed El-Gamal, who pointed out that the Bibliotheca Alexandrina pays special attention to Spanish and Andalusian studies in light of the long-standing historical ties.
For her part, writer Irene Vallejo mentioned that the narrative structure of her book was partly inspired by the approach of One Thousand and One Nights as a model reflecting humanity’s passion for stories and books, noting that her presence at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina represents the fulfillment of a childhood dream where the past meets the present in a vibrant cultural setting.
She concluded her remarks by describing the Bibliotheca Alexandrina as a vessel of knowledge that allows every reader to embark on their own journey and travel to diverse worlds of thought and culture.