Javier Marías has written 16 novels, won dozens of awards in various countries, and has been translated into nearly 50 languages. He has served as a professor of Spanish literature at the universities of Oxford and Madrid, and has written columns for the daily newspaper El País. Marías is also influential as a translator of English literature into Spanish, having translated works by Sterne, Faulkner, Nabokov, Salinger, and others. His novels previously translated into Estonian include “A Heart So White” (translated by Marin Mõttus, Varrak 2002) and “The Oxford Romance or All Souls” (translated by Kai Aareleid, Varrak 2012), as well as a collection of writers’ biographies, “Written Lives” (translated by Maria Kall, LR 2010).

His recently published novel “The Infatuations” (Spanish “Los enamoramientos”), originally released in 2011, is Marías’s first novel narrated by a woman. True to his style, the author employs repetitive thoughts and quotes, constructs long sentences, delves deeply into controversial episodes of famous literary works, and questions truth, justice, loyalty, and reliability, all while bringing to the surface dark thoughts and obsessions. Based on the plot summary, the book could easily be classified under the crime or thriller genre. More information.

Attendance is free, and participants can buy the novel “The Infatuations” at the publisher’s price (card payment is also available). The discussion evening will take place during Iberofest, a festival dedicated to the culture of Spanish-speaking countries, with the support of the Embassy of Spain in Estonia and Toledo Publishing House.