The Sobremesa Podcast
By The Sobremesa Podcast
The Sobremesa Podcast is about modern-day Spanish society, politics and history, without the stereotypes. Please donate at to make the podcast sustainable: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey
The Sobremesa PodcastSep 28, 2020
Why Rosalia is Not Your Friend - with Anita Fuentes
This week Alan is joined by culture critic and researcher Anita Fuentes to discuss Spanish celebrities and politics.
Should celebrities use their platforms to stand up for injustices like the genocide in Palestine and a recent revival in the Spanish MeToo movement?
Furthermore, Rosalia is often claimed to have a progressive image, but is she? From real estate to cultural appropriation much would indicate that she isn't. We look at the reality behind the image of Spain's largest international star today.
If you enjoy what we produce then please give us a review on your preferred podcast platform and consider donating to our buy me a coffee fund to help the podcast be more sustainable.
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey
Pedro Sánchez's Cliffhanger Decision!!!
After announcing last Wednesday that he was considering stepping down as Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez revealed this morning he was staying in the job so to fight for "the democratic renewal" of the country. In a move straight out of his favourite TV series Baron Noir, he has orchestrated another theatrical gesture or 'golpe de efecto' so as to rally the Left and upend the current terms of political debate in Spain. If he has regained the initiative, the question is how long will this last?
Please consider supporting the podcast at:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey
Basque Election Special - Historic Gains for EH Bildu and the Independentist Left
This week Eoghan is joined by journalist Ben Wray to discuss last night's Basque elections, which saw historic gains for pro-independentist left EH Bildu - with the new Basque parliament being the most nationalist in 40 years. But Ben argues that this does not mean that independence is any closer but in fact the results reinforces Pedro Sanchez's centrality within the current governing arrangement in Spain.
Please consider supporting the podcast at:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey
Forged in Spain: British Volunteers and the Spanish Civil War
This week Eoghan and new co-host Catherine Howley talk to Richard Baxell about his new book 'Forged in Spain' which vividly recounts the lives of the extraordinary men and women who left their families and friends across Britain to risk their lives in the Spanish Civil War.
Richard is a historian and former Research Fellow at the London School of Economics and is currently the International Brigade Memorial Trust's historical consultant. 'Forged in Spain' is available to buy from Clapton Press: https://theclaptonpress.com/forged-in-spain-richard-baxell/
Please consider supporting the podcast at:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey
Paul Preston Interview: Britain's Betrayal of the Spanish Republic
This week's guest is Paul Preston, one of the foremost historians of the Spanish Civil War. Eoghan talked to Paul about his new book 'Perfidious Albion', which is out today from Clapton Press and which turns the spotlight on Britain’s crucial but often overlooked involvement in the war. Preston argues that the country's policy of non-intervention was a crucial factor in the outcome of the war and reflected "the barely disguised sympathy of the Conservative government of Great Britain" for the military rebels.
Buy a copy of the book here: https://theclaptonpress.com/perfidious-albion-britain-and-the-Spanish-civil-war/
Please consider supporting the podcast at:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey
Athletic Club Bilbao: A Unique Team
Eoghan is joined by Christopher James Evans to discuss his new book 'Los Leones: The Unique Story of Athletic Club Bilbao', which is out this month. It looks at Athletic's century long history and the development of its Basque-only footballing philosphy, which makes it stand out as a unique among the great clubs in world football.
Please consider supporting the podcast at:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey
Portugal Turns Right in General Election
Yesterday's Portuguese general election saw a surge in support for the far-right Chega party, which tripled its vote share from six to eighteen percent while the governing Socialist Party saw a steep fall in support. To analyse the results, Eoghan is joined by journalist Joana Ramiro - whose work has appeared in The New Statesman, The Guardian and Novara Media.
Please consider supporting the podcast at:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey
Spanish Civil War Refugees in France
This week on Sobremesa podcast we are discussing this month’s 85th anniversary of La Retirada, which saw 500,000 people flee Catalunya and into France as Franco's fascist forces occupied Barcelona. Eoghan speaks to graduate war historian and podcast host Uma Arruga i López about La Retirada and and the experience of Spanish Republicans as exiles in France.
Please consider supporting the podcast at:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey
Franco's Poet and El Desencanto with Aaron Shulman
Aaron Shulman joins Alan to discuss his book The Age of Disenchantments: The Epic Story of Spain's Most Notorious Literary Family and the Long Shadow of the Spanish Civil War. Here he explores Spain's chaotic 20th century via the lense of the larger-than-fiction Panero family.
They discuss the cult classic documentary El desencanto (1976), which portrays the family at the peak of the country's transition from dictatorship to democracy. With the ghost of the patriarchal father remaining off-screen, some have come to see this film as a metaphor for the nation following the death of Franco. Aaron also tells us how their lives continued after the film and what become of them. Donate to make the podcast sustainable: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey
The Many Lives of al-Andalus with Eric Calderwood
Eric Calderwood, Associate Professor of Comparative and World Literature at the University of Illinois, joins Alan to discuss his new book On Earth or in Poems: The Many Lives of al-Andalus (Harvard University Press). They talk about how various groups such as feminists, Palestinians and directors making Ramadan soap-operas are all turning to the memory of al-Andalus and using it in different ways. You can buy the book here
The Sobremesa Podcast has grown so much in 2023. We released 26 episodes on topics ranging from Spain's general election to the Civil War and on to Spanish cinema, Gaudi and anarchism and Al Ándalus. Please help us continue to grow and make the podcast sustainable in the coming year by supporting us here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey
Spotify Playlist from Eric:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QrhqjTPPUt515FZcPriCl?si=ff2ae88ccf5b4861
Further reading of interest:
- Abu-Lughod, Lila. Do Muslim Women Need Saving? Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2013.
- Bennison, Amira K. The Almoravid and Almohad Empires. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2016.
- Calderwood, Eric. Colonial al-Andalus: Spain the Making of Modern Moroccan Culture. Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2016.
- Calderwood, Eric. On Earth or in Poems: The Many Lives of al-Andalus. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2023.
- Civantos, Christina. The Afterlife of al-Andalus: Muslim Iberia in Contemporary Arab and Hispanic Narratives. Albany: SUNY Press, 2017.
- Darwish, Mahmud. Once astros: Poesía. Trans. María Luisa Prieto González. Madrid: Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional, 2000.
- Elinson, Alexander E. Looking Back at al-Andalus: The Poetics of Loss and Nostalgia in Medieval Arabic and Hebrew Literature. Leiden: Brill, 2009.
- Manzano Moreno, Eduardo. “Qurtuba: Algunas reflexiones críticas sobre el califato de Córdoba y el mito de la convivencia.” Awraq 7 (2013): 225-246.
- Martínez Montávez, Pedro. Al-Andalus, España, en la literatura árabe contemporánea. Málaga: Arguval, 1992.
- Menocal, María Rosa. The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain. New York: Back Bay Books, 2002.
- Scott, Rachel, AbdoolKarim Vakil, and Julian Weiss, eds. Al-Andalus in Motion: Travelling Concepts and Cross-Cultural Concepts. London: King’s College London CLAMS, 2021.
The Op-Ed Novel - El País and Contemporary Spanish Literature
This week Eoghan is joined by Bécquer Seguín to talk about his new book 'The Op-Ed Novel'. The book examines how many of Spain's most renowned writers over the last thirty years have combined novel writing with publishing regular op-ed columns in El País.
As Almudena Grandes, Javier Cercas, Antonio Muñoz Molina, Fernando Aramburu and Javier Marías engaged in public debates about Spain's past and its contemporary ills across the opinion pages of the country's paper of record, their own literary work increasingly took on political themes - with controversies first stirred in El País running over into the pages of their novels.
Bécquer Seguín is Assistant Professor of Iberian Studies at John Hopkins University and a regular contributor to The Nation magazine. The Podcast has grown so much in 2023 and we released 26 episodes on topics ranging from Spain's general election to the Civil War and on to Spanish cinema, Gaudi and anarchism and Al Ándalus. Please help us continue to grow and make the podcast sustainable in the coming year by supporting us here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey
Spanish Politics: The Year in Review 2023
2023 was the year of Pedro Sánchez living dangerously - from July's surprise snap election to his wager on a Catalan amnesty law so as to secure a further term in office. Alan and Eoghan are joined by Professor Joe Haslam from IE business school to discuss the year's events.
The Podcast has grown so much in 2023 and we have released 25 episodes on topics ranging from Spain's general election to the Civil War and on to Spanish cinema, Gaudi and anarchism and Al Ándalus. Please help us continue to grow and make the podcast sustainable in the coming year by supporting us this holiday season: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey
Spanish Cinema: Best Films of 2023
2023 has been another great year for Spanish cinema. Eoghan sits down with Anita Fuentes to discuss some of the best films coming out of Spain over the last 12 months, including: 20.000 especies de abejas, As bestas, Matria and Las chicas están bien. Anita also recommends Spanish series La Mesías. The Podcast has grown so much in 2023 and we have released 26 episodes on topics ranging from Spain's general election to the Civil War and on to Spanish cinema, Gaudi and anarchism and Al Ándalus. Please help us continue to grow and make the podcast sustainable in the coming year by supporting us this holiday season: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey
Anita Fuentes is a La Caixa Doctoral Fellow and is researching TikTok misogyny at the Complutense university in Madrid.
Spain's New Progressive Coalition Government!!!
After weeks of tension, uncertainty and violent protests, Spain has a new progressive coalition government as prime minister Pedro Sanchez won an investiture vote today in the Spanish parliament. Eoghan sat down with Sumar MP Txema Guijarro a few hours after the vote to discuss the events of recent weeks, the Catalan amnesty deal and where the country's left goes from here.
Please donate here to make the podcast sustainable into 2024: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey
Why the Spanish Catholic Church gets away with clergy sex abuse with Miguel Hurtado
Miguel Hurtado is a human rights activist and clergy sex abuse survivor. He sits down with Alan to discuss the recent report from the Spanish government that estimates 440,000 people in the country have been victims of sexual abuse by the Catholic church. They discuss the methodology and content of the report and later the reaction. They also discuss Spain's recent changes in child protection and its flaws along with the need to abolish the statute of limitations when it comes to child abuse.
Please donate here to make the podcast sustainable into 2024: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/eoghangilm8
Historic Amnesty Law for Catalunya
In today's episode Eoghan is joined by historian Andrew Dowling to discuss the ongoing efforts to form a government in Spain, with negotiations currently centred on the possibility of a sweeping amnesty law for the Catalan independence movement. Pro-independence Junts' pragmatic turn since September suggests a confidence and suppy deal can reached to give Pedro Sanchez 4 more years in Moncloa but internal rivalries within the independence movement could complicate issues.
Please donate here to make the podcast sustainable into 2024: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey
The Playboy King: Juan Carlos and the Spanish Royal Family with James Badcock
Freelance journalist James Badcock has reported on the numerous scandals of Juan Carlos closely over the years from dodgy dealings to his mistresses. He has even interviewed Juan Carlos's ex-lover Corinna. James joins Alan to discuss Leonor's recent elevation to heiress, Felipe's battles and, of course, the playboy king himself. This is the sordid story of the modern Spanish Royal family.
Please help us continue to grow and make the podcast sustainable in the coming year by supporting us this holiday season: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey
(Green) Gentrification and Touristification in Barcelona with Carlos Delclós
Carlos Delclós is a Professor of Sociology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. He joins Alan to clarify what gentrification is and is not, what different types of gentrification there are and how they have had an effect on Spain's biggest city and tourist destination Barcelona.
Lisbon: Housing, Digital Nomads and Sandwiches with Joana Ramiro
Joana Ramiro joins Alan to discuss the changing cityscape of Lisbon and Porto. As a Portuguese journalist living in the UK, Joana was shocked when she went back to her home city for 6 months during the first COVID-19 lockdown. Following several articles on the changes taking place, specifically regarding housing, Joana sits down with Alan to explore the causes and responses to this simmering crisis.
Related articles:
https://staging.tribunemag.co.uk/2021/03/a-letter-from-lisbon
https://jacobin.com/2023/03/portugal-lisbon-porto-rent-increases-housing-crisis
The Rubiales Case: Spain's World Cup Winners against the Patriarchy
This week Eoghan is joined by independent journalist Leah Pattem to discuss the fallout from Spanish Football Federation chief Luis Rubiales' alleged sexual assault of Jenni Hermoso at the World Cup final and why most international coverage is ignoring a crucial player in this story: Spain's powerful feminist movement.
Revisiting Al-Andalus with Mahmoud Hosny Roshdy
Mahmoud Roshdy joins Alan to discuss an alternative way of teaching and looking at the history of Arabic Spain. With 8oo years of history, this new approach makes for interesting listening when compared to the average history class.
Alan and Eoghan also discuss the Women's World Cup and what is happening politically after the elections.
Photo by Mahmoud Hosny Roshdy
The Two Contemporary Spains: Plurinationalism, Nostalgia and Vox
This week Eoghan sits down to talk to Dr. Brittany Kennedy from Tulane University about the two contemporary Spains. On August 17th the new speaker of the Spanish parliament recognised the right for MPs to intervene in the Congreso using the three minority languages of Spain: Catalan, Basque and Gallego - thus ensuring the state's democratic institutions better reflected the diverse and plurinational nature of the country. At the same time, Spain has also witnessed a reactionary wave over the last 5 years, in which authoritarian right-wing populisms have drawn on the symbols and elements of the past to articulate a revitalised exclusionary nationalism. Eoghan and Brittany discuss these two interconnecting phenomenon, as well as Spain's women's World Cup team, Cola Cao ads and why it might be okay to like Semana Santa!
Spain After 23J
This week Eoghan is joined by Vicente Rubio-Pueyo to discuss how last month's general election results fit into the wider political context of Spanish politics since the 2008 financial crisis. Vicente also explains why he believes Pedro Sánchez can be compared to the figure of Adolfo Suárez in Spain's last conjunctural crisis during the country's transition to democracy.
Spanish Election Special!!!
Alan and Eoghan are joined by sociologist Carlos Delclós and journalist Tiare Gatti Mora to discuss the fallout from last Sunday's general election. The polls suggested a clear right-wing victory for PP and Vox but it never materialised. Now could we see a new progressive coalition or are we facing new elections by Christmas?
Spain's Election Is Too Close To Call
This week Alan and Eoghan are joined by political analyst Iago Moreno to discuss the pre-campaign to July's general election in Spain. They discuss Vox's particular brand of right-wing populism, Pedro Sanchez's attempts to regain momentum and Sumar's chances after a difficult left-unity deal. While the right currently have the edge in polls, it is far from clear if it can secure a clear governing majority. The election is too close to call!
Spain's Surprise Snap Election!!!
After a sweeping right-wing victory in local and regional elections last Sunday, prime minister Pedro Sanchez called a surprise general election for July. Professor Andrew Dowling joins Alan and Eoghan to discuss the latest developments.
Spain's Struggle for the Right to Housing: From 15M to the Coalition's New Housing Law
With Spain's new housing law being approved in Congress last month, the current local and regional election campaign has come to be dominated by the question of housing. As rents continue to soar and a new generation of Spaniards find themselves locked out of home ownership, the left-wing coalition government are promising a raft of measures aimed at guarenteeing the right to housing. But in a country with a particularly dysfunctional approach to housing, centred predominately on private ownership in highly financialized markets, how are serious are its plans? To discuss these issues Eoghan sits down to talk with sociologist Carlos Delclós, lead author of a new report from the Future Policy Lab: 'Vivienda para vivir: de mercancía a derecho'.
The Village Against the World: the story of Marinaleda and Juan Manuel Sanchez Gordillo with Dan Hancox
Dan Hancox joins Alan to discuss his 2013 book The Village Against the World.
10 years on prominent mayor Juan Manuel Sanchez Gordillo will not stand for re-election in 2023's local elections. He is standing down from his post after 44 years of public service. How did the village get here and where is it going? Alan and Dan discuss these questions and more in this episode of the Sobremesa Podcast.
Book Description from Verso Books. You can buy it here.
One hundred kilometres from Seville lies the small village of Marinaleda, which for the last thirty-five years has been the centre of a tireless struggle to create a living utopia. This unique community drew British author Dan Hancox to Spain, and here for the first time he recounts the fascinating story of villagers who expropriated the land owned by wealthy aristocrats and have, since the 1980s, made it the foundation of a cooperative way of life.
Today, Marinaleda is a place where the farms and the processing plants are collectively owned and provide work for everyone who wants it. A mortgage is €15 per month, sport is played in a stadium emblazoned with a huge mural of Che Guevara, and there are monthly 'Red Sundays' when everyone works together to clean up the neighbourhood. Leading this revolution is the village mayor, Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo, who in 2012 became a household name in Spain after heading raids on local supermarkets to feed the Andalusian unemployed.
As Spain's crisis becomes ever more desperate, Marinaleda also suffers from the international downturn. Can the village retain its utopian vision? Can Sánchez Gordillo hold on to the dream against the depredations of the world beyond his village?
From Podemos to Sumar: The Renewal of the Spanish Left
This week Eoghan speaks to political analyst Mario Ríos about the current reorganization of the Spanish left around deputy prime minister Yolanda Díaz's new Sumar [Unite] platform and the divisions this is creating among the organizations within the current left space. Mario teaches political science at the University of Girona, is an advisor to Catalunya en Comú and a regular contributer to Público newspaper.
How to Remember the International Brigades
This week Alan and Eoghan sit down with Jim Jump, Chair of the International Brigade Memorial Trust, to talk about his father's experience in the Brigades, the 85th anniversary of the Battle of the Ebro and why he thinks the story of the international volunteers who went to Spain in the 1930s still fascinate and resonate today. They also discuss the work of the IBMT.
How Antoni Gaudí Turned Me into an Anarchist: Architecture and Class in Barcelona
This week's guest is writer, historian and guide Catherine Howley. Catherine runs the Spanish Civil War Walking Museum tours with Nick Lloyd in Barcelona and has written extensively on Barcelona's architecture and working-class history. In this episode she talks to Eoghan about the historicial context in which Antoni Gaudí designed his iconic buildings in the city and how that context and the ideology of the Catalan ruling class is reflected in the work of this reactionary genius.
An Introduction to Spanish Film with Steven Marsh
Steven Marsh joins Alan to give an overview of Spanish film. They touch on the autobiographical film written by Franco, how Ken Loach inspired 90's cinema and the legacies of prominent Spanish directors such as Pedro Almodóvar and the late Carlos Saura.
Originally from the UK Steven Marsh is a specialist on Spanish film. Before coming to the US he lived in Madrid for many years. He is the author of two monographs and an edited anthology. He is currently writing two books: one on contemporary Spanish politics (provisionally titled "The Rule of Law in the Age of Crisis: Judicial Politics, the Left, and the Case for Radical Justice in Contemporary Spain"), the other on filmic form in the work of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American filmmakers.
Publications
Spanish Cinema Against Itself: Cosmopolitanism, Experimentation, Militancy
Popular Spanish Film Under Franco: Comedy and the Weakening of the State
Spanish Civil War Memoirs: Kate Mangan and Jan Kurzke with Simon Deefholts from The Clapton Press.
Simon Deefholts from The Clapton Press joins me to discuss the memoirs of Kate Mangan and Jan Kurzke, which until recently had been languishing in a Dutch archive only accessible to professional historians. Here he recounts the love story that can be found in Kate's memoir (but not in Jan's!) and how with the help of historians and Kate and Jan's daughter Charlotte, they were able to publish both works. We also discuss some more memoirs which the press have rereleased in the past few years.
You can buy all the books mentioned here: https://theclaptonpress.com/
Pontevedra: Spain's Most Liveable City
Eoghan is joined by Irish journalist Brendan Boyle to talk about the innovative urban model of his adopted home city of Pontevedra, which has largely eliminated the use of private cars. Traffic in the city of 65,000 has been reduced by 97 percent under current mayor Miguel Anxo Fernández Lores . Brendan also compares his pre-pandemic life in hectic Madrid with his new one in Galicia. His latest work can be found at his blog: https://brendyboyle.medium.com/
The Other Empty Spain with Nerea Fernandez Cordero
Nerea joins Alan to discuss why she is standing as a candidate for Izquierda Unida in for the regional parliament of Extremadura. Here they talk about some of the other factors around the 'empty Spain' and Extremadura in particular.
Spanish Politics: The Year in Review 2022
Alan and Eoghan are joined by IE University's Joe Haslam to discuss the year in Spanish politics - from Pablo Casado's political assassination in February to Pedro Sanchez creating his own luck in the Christmas lottery. Also a shout out to Popular Party MP Alberto Casero who voted mistakenly in favour of the coalition's labour reform, thus tipping the majority in favour of the legislation and saving the government from a potentially fatal parliamentary defeat. He tried to blame the electronic voting system but then made the same mistake again in September!
Masculinities and Aging with Jose Armengol
Jose Armengol, Professor of English at Castilla La Mancha University, joins Alan to discuss how masculinity and aging have changed in their form of representation in Spanish literature and film. Eoghan and Alan also discuss a closely related polemic that includes the Ministry of Equality and Minister Irene Montero.
Spanish Cinema 2022
Alcarràs, Cinco lobitos (Lullaby), En los márgenes (On the Fringe), El Agua, As bestas and Modelo 77 - 2022 has been a great year for Spanish cinema. Eoghan sits down with La Base's Anita Fuentes to review the year in film and discuss the impact a new generation of women and feminist directors are having on cinema in Spain.
Anita Fuentes is also the host of the English language Security In Context podcast :https://open.spotify.com/show/3hIPIuuHDMcr6br147HXTr
Anita's interview with En los márgenes director Juan Diego Botto for La Base is available here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4eO5ewPuMZFuhLL2AA96ma?si=C0zncS6VTpWYsmx2033JmA
The Political Uses of the Prado
In the wake of the recent climate protest at the Prado museum in Madrid, as well as the use of the museum for a dinner during this summer's NATO summit, Eoghan sit down with art historian Almudena Cros to discuss the relationship between the iconic gallery and politics. Cros argues that the Prado itself needs to become much more open to critical approaches to art history and explore the complex relationship between power, patronage and its collection, which represents one of the greatest in the tradition of European oil painting.
Details of Almudena's tours can be found here: https://www.acrossmadrid.com/en/
Javier Marías: An Uneasy Spaniard
This week Eoghan talks to Sebastiaan Faber about Spain’s best known contemporary novelist,Javier Marías, who died aged 70 in Madrid in September and who was the author of 15 novels including Todas Las Almas, Corazón Tan Blanco and Berta Isla.
A New History of Catalonia with Andrew Dowling
Andrew Dowling joins Alan to discuss his latest book A New History Of Catalonia (2022, Routledge)
Andrew Dowling is Reader in Spanish History at Cardiff University and researches the history and politics of Catalonia. He has previously published The Rise of Catalan Independence: Spain’s Territorial Crisis with Routledge in 2018 and Catalonia since the Spanish Civil War: Reconstructing the Nation (Sussex Academic Press, 2012).
Catalonia: A New History revises many traditional and romantic conceptions in the historiography of a small nation. This book engages with the scholarship of the past decade and separates nationalist myth-history from real historical processes. It is thus able to provide the reader with an analytical account, situating each historical period within its temporal context. Catalonia emerges as a territory where complex social forces interact, where revolts and rebellions are frequent. This is a contested terrain where political ideologies have sought to impose their interpretation of Catalan reality.
This book situates Catalonia within the wider currents of European and Spanish history, from pre-history to the contemporary independence movement, and makes an important contribution to our understanding of nation-making.
Get it here from the publisher's website.
Spain's Budget 2023: A Social Democratic Response to the Cost of Living Crisis?
This week Spain's progressive coalition unveiled its budget for next year aimed at dealing with the cost of living crisis. Eoghan sat down with sociologist Carlos Delclós to analyse the package of measures that were agreed by the country's progressive coalition and to discuss what it says about Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's party political strategy as we enter a big election year.
Summers over! Global Tourism and the Catalan independence movement
Eoghan is back and he joins Alan in recounting some of their favourite news stories from the summer.
Max Ferrar joins Alan to discuss his project which links the effects of globalism on the modern day image and shape of the Catalan independence movement. Here they specifically discuss the effect mass tourism has had on the movement and the physical area of Girona itself.
If you have any suggestions for episodes or want to be a guest on the podcast get in touch at the.sobremesa.podcast@gmail.com
Scottish Volunteers and the International Brigades with Fraser Raeburn
Often when you read, watch or hear about the International Brigades, the United Kingdom and sometimes Ireland, are lumped together into one big group. In this episode Fraser Raeburn joins me to discuss how the 'Scottish context' was different. We talk about Aid for Spain and the ideological and political context that convinced so many Scots to join the brigades to fight fascism in Spain.
Fraser's book is called Scots and the Spanish Civil War: Solidarity, Activism and Humanitarianism. (Edinburgh University Press)
Spaniards in the British Army with Sean Scullion
Following the retreat of republican forces at the end of the Spanish Civil War, many people become refugees in France and North Africa. Whilst some would later return, many men of fighting age who had been in the Republican army could not. This is their story from how they ended up in refugee camps in the south of France to being members of the British army including members of the SAS.
Sean Scullion is currently writing a book on this topic. He also gives battle field tours and speaks on the subject at public events.
Spain's Democratic Memory Law Finally Approved!
Spain's Democratic Memory Law is passed by parliament after nearly 2 years of gruelling negotiations. The law aims to protects the rights of Franco's victims to truth and justice and includes a raft of advances but also runs up against major limits. Eoghan is joined by doctoral student Tom Wardle, a researcher into the country's historical memory movement from the University of Southampton, to discuss the new law and its background.
Exhuming Violent Histories: How to Tell the Story of Spain's Mass Graves
This week's guest is sociologist Nicole Iturriaga who Eoghan talked to about her new book 'Exhuming Violent Histories: Forensics, Memory and Rewriting Spain's Past'. The book provides a detailed case study of Spain’s best-known historical memory organization, the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory which since 2000 has been responsible for exhuming many of Spain's Franco-era mass graves. In the book, Nicole argues that part of the association's success has been due to its use of a depoliticised approach, i.e. using forensic science and family testimony, rather than overtly political arguments, to force the issue of Francoist state terror back onto the public agenda. It is available to buy on amazon (including in a very reasonable ebook version): https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B094YXN968/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0
The Making of Lavapies with Felicity Hughes
Felicity Hughes joins Alan in the real world to discuss the origins of Lavapies in Madrid and some interesting places that you would normally have just walked past.
Felicity Hughes is a professional writer and editor based in Madrid. Her work has appeared in a variety of different publications including Lonely Planet, The Guardian and Wire magazine. The Making of Madrid is a pet project that was born out of a desire to get to know her adoptive city better and share her passion for its history with other inquisitive individuals.
The Blog: https://themakingofmadrid.com/
Her husband's petition: https://www.change.org/p/paremos-la-cesi%C3%B3n-gratuita-en-usera-de-un-terreno-valorado-en-millones-de-a-la-iglesia
Massacre in Melilla
In this week's episode we talk about the brutal killing of 37 migrant people at the hands of Moroccan security services along the border of the Spanish enclave of Melilla, as well as discussing the fallout from the results of the Andalusian elections.
Andalusian Elections and Spain's Right-Turn
As Spain's most populous region Andalusia heads to the polls this Sunday, we preview this crucial regional election and ask if a likely right-wing victory points to a wider reactionary shift in the country more generally.