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The Sobremesa Podcast

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

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Currently playing episode

Summers over! Global Tourism and the Catalan independence movement

The Sobremesa PodcastSep 15, 2022

00:00
35:53
Paul Preston Interview: Britain's Betrayal of the Spanish Republic

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


Mar 21, 202401:05:37
Athletic Club Bilbao: A Unique Team

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

Mar 19, 202441:38
Portugal Turns Right in General Election

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

Mar 11, 202401:12:53
Spanish Civil War Refugees in France

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

Feb 27, 202452:40
Franco's Poet and El Desencanto with Aaron Shulman

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

Feb 11, 202443:10
The Many Lives of al-Andalus with Eric Calderwood

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.

Feb 05, 202401:17:53
The Op-Ed Novel - El País and Contemporary Spanish Literature

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

Jan 11, 202401:17:53
Spanish Politics: The Year in Review 2023

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

Dec 31, 202301:20:06
Spanish Cinema: Best Films of 2023

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.

Dec 22, 202301:08:45
Spain's New Progressive Coalition Government!!!

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

Nov 16, 202349:10
Why the Spanish Catholic Church gets away with clergy sex abuse with Miguel Hurtado

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

Nov 16, 202344:00
Historic Amnesty Law for Catalunya

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

Nov 16, 202352:28
The Playboy King: Juan Carlos and the Spanish Royal Family with James Badcock

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

Nov 06, 202301:44:25
(Green) Gentrification and Touristification in Barcelona with Carlos Delclós

(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.

Oct 20, 202338:17
Lisbon: Housing, Digital Nomads and Sandwiches with Joana Ramiro

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

Sep 15, 202359:37
The Rubiales Case: Spain's World Cup Winners against the Patriarchy

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.

Sep 01, 202329:27
Revisiting Al-Andalus with Mahmoud Hosny Roshdy
Aug 26, 202355:38
The Two Contemporary Spains: Plurinationalism, Nostalgia and Vox

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!

Aug 18, 202301:00:58
Spain After 23J

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.

Aug 08, 202301:17:18
Spanish Election Special!!!

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?

Jul 28, 202301:09:35
Spain's Election Is Too Close To Call

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! 

Jun 30, 202301:00:54
Spain's Surprise Snap Election!!!

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.

Jun 02, 202357:22
Spain's Struggle for the Right to Housing: From 15M to the Coalition's New Housing Law

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'.




May 15, 202357:17
The Village Against the World: the story of Marinaleda and Juan Manuel Sanchez Gordillo with Dan Hancox

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?

May 05, 202301:00:39
From Podemos to Sumar: The Renewal of the Spanish Left

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.

Apr 24, 202344:47
How to Remember the International Brigades

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.

Apr 06, 202301:01:25
How Antoni Gaudí Turned Me into an Anarchist: Architecture and Class in Barcelona

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.

Mar 30, 202347:42
An Introduction to Spanish Film with Steven Marsh
Mar 12, 202356:17
Spanish Civil War Memoirs: Kate Mangan and Jan Kurzke with Simon Deefholts from The Clapton Press.
Feb 15, 202330:16
Pontevedra: Spain's Most Liveable City

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/

Feb 08, 202340:58
The Other Empty Spain with Nerea Fernandez Cordero

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. 

Jan 16, 202322:22
Spanish Politics: The Year in Review 2022

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! 

Dec 23, 202249:58
Masculinities and Aging with Jose Armengol

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. 

Dec 05, 202256:38
Spanish Cinema 2022

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

Nov 28, 202253:20
The Political Uses of the Prado

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/

Nov 20, 202248:11
Javier Marías: An Uneasy Spaniard

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.

Oct 31, 202240:59
A New History of Catalonia with Andrew Dowling
Oct 24, 202235:16
Spain's Budget 2023: A Social Democratic Response to the Cost of Living Crisis?

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.  

Oct 06, 202243:00
Summers over! Global Tourism and the Catalan independence movement

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

Sep 15, 202235:53
Scottish Volunteers and the International Brigades with Fraser Raeburn

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)

Aug 22, 202236:31
Spaniards in the British Army with Sean Scullion

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. 

Aug 10, 202248:27
Spain's Democratic Memory Law Finally Approved!

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.

Jul 20, 202242:02
Exhuming Violent Histories: How to Tell the Story of Spain's Mass Graves

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

Jul 12, 202250:31
The Making of Lavapies with Felicity Hughes

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

Jul 06, 202231:32
Massacre in Melilla

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.

Jun 29, 202230:33
Andalusian Elections and Spain's Right-Turn

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.

Jun 15, 202239:18
The Spanish Government's Historic Feminist Agenda

The Spanish Government's Historic Feminist Agenda

This week Eoghan speaks to academic Deborah Madden and journalist Laura Seoane about the feminist policies being advanced by Spain's coalition government, concentrating particularly on the country's new active sexual consent law (known as 'only yes is yes'). We also talk about how the debates among different strands of the country's feminist movement are playing out at cabinet, with major differences emerging on trans rights, prostitution and menstrual leave.

Jun 08, 202250:15
The Other Special Relationship: Aznar & Blair and the Iraq War with Nathen Jones

The Other Special Relationship: Aznar & Blair and the Iraq War with Nathen Jones

Nathen Jones joins Alan to discuss his research and book on the other special relationship between Tony Blair and Jose Maria Aznar. His book The adoption of a pro-US foreign policy by Spain & the United Kingdom: José María Aznar and Tony Blair's personal motivations and their global impact looks at how the modernisers of their day worked hand in hand on issues such as the EU and Iraq, but also shared similar outlooks on their respective parties and countries. 

Nathan Jones is a lecturer in Politics in the Division of Politics and International Relations at Nottingham Trent University. He specialises in comparative European politics, party politics, elections and electoral systems, voter behaviour, and public opinion. 

May 31, 202201:01:57
Barcelona and the Spanish Civil War

Barcelona and the Spanish Civil War

This week Eoghan talks to Nick Lloyd about his book 'Forgotten Places: Barcelona and the Spanish Civil War'. The discussion ranges from George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia and the strategic dilemmas facing the Republican side during the 1936-9 conflict to the contrasting experiences of the war in Madrid and Barcelona.


Please support the podcast and help us grow:

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey


You can find more information about the Nick's Civil War tours at his website: https://thespanishcivilwar.com/

May 25, 202253:02
Spain's new Abortion Law, Women's Rights and Menstrual leave with Deb Madden

Spain's new Abortion Law, Women's Rights and Menstrual leave with Deb Madden

In Spain this week there has been a lot of discussion around the age of gaining consent to get an abortion, should you need your parent's consent if you are between 16-18? This law says no. Internationally we have seen headline after headline talking about 'period leave' but unlike the Daily Mail says it is not unlimited. 

Deb Madden is a feminist academic who joins Alan do discuss the history of the law, the wider global fight for women's rights and why Spain stands at the forefront of the global feminist movement. 

May 18, 202228:12