POSTCARD N.259 - SPAIN
Postcard sent on the 16th October; received on the 29th October 2026
Postcard image: Literal - Fira d'idees & libres radicals - La Cultura és l'opció política més revolucionária a llarg termini (Montserrat Roig)
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La Cultura és l'opció política més revolucionária a llarg termini. (Culture is the most revolutionary political option in the long term). Moltes gràcies, Eva, per la teva tan interessant postal .
Not disputing the author's conviction and sure that elaborating over a phrase isolated from its context can be terribly misleading, if such a powerful statement would prompt me to any type of comment I might only be tempted to add that the relevance of culture as a political option should not be linked to any particular time frame, for not only is it relevant for the long term, but also for every conceivable term in between...
In fact, I do believe that Culture, in all its manifestations, which go well beyond the arts, is the inerasable footprint that Humanity has impinged on earth, the precipitate of our species existence, the evidence of our accomplishments.
Humans, even the centenary among us, are by nature transient. Culture, on the other hand, is evergreen and permanent, even if in constant mutation, augmentation, development.
Culture, transmorphed into books, buildings, paints, clothes, sculptures, films, photographs but also foods, medicine, maths, laws is the heritage we grew by and will leave to those that will follow us and a large part of it, due to its tangible nature, will endure long after we're all gone, until the planet finally becomes celestial dust again.
Being aware of it and fostering it, at all times, should be the main concern of any responsible government, for a cultivated society is a society that has crossed the Rubicon from subsistence to progress. I would even be tempted to say that it should be a government's most revolutionary political option.
Note: Montserrat Roig (1946-1991) was a Catalan journalist, writer and activist who in the short span of her life managed to leave a noteworthy contribution towards l'opció política més revolucionária a llarg termini.
- Ana María Matute (1925-2014) was one of the most important Spanish writers of the 20th century and a laureate of Premio Cervantes, the most important literary prize in Spain, which she was awarded in 2010.
On 29MAY2026, Correos de España issued the 1€ stamp Eva used on the postcard, illustrated with the author's portrait, as part of the on-going "Literature" series, which features relevant contemporary Spanish writers
- Consuelo Berges (1899-1988) was also a Spanish writer and activist, who was honoured with the "A" tariff stamp on the card, issued on 23JUL2026.
Quoting from the release notes: "Correos has issued a new stamp, within its series 'Characters', which pays tribute to Consuelo Berges Rábago, a brilliant Spanish writer, journalist, translator and feminist activist belonging to the Sinsombrero current. She stood out for defending women's rights and translating great French authors into Spanish, work for which she received the prestigious Fray Luis de León Translation Prize."
- Felipe VI became the King of Spain on 19 June 2014. The first definitive series featuring his portrait was issued on 19JAN2015, and the 0,04 € stamp on the card is part of that issue which comprised 6 values (0,01; 0,04; 0,10; 1;L 2; 5 €), the stamps being all equal but printed in different colours.
The postcard Eva used is a promotion vehicle for "Literal: Fira d'idees libres radicals (Literal: Radical Ideas & Books Fair), popularly known as Literal or Literal Fair, is a trade fair for critical thinking books in any language, which has been held annually since 2015, for three days in mid-May, at the Fabra i Coats venue in Barcelona. (translated from wikipedia).
