Juan-Manuel García Ramos to Discuss Mortality at Santa Cruz Book Fair

This weekend, the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Book Fair at García Sanabria Park serves as a hub for contemporary Canarian literature. As part of the event’s program, local author Juan-Manuel García Ramos will meet with readers to discuss his work. He will be at the Librería Lemus stand this Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to sign copies of his latest book, El temor de morir (The Fear of Dying), published by Mercurio.

In this new essay, García Ramos explores the human experience of mortality. He approaches the subject from several angles, drawing on classical philosophy—specifically the life of Socrates—as well as religious narratives and accounts of near-death experiences. The book goes beyond theory by incorporating personal stories and the author’s own reflections on how we perceive the end of life.

The volume also serves as an examination of how humanity has grappled with the idea of death. García Ramos synthesizes the perspectives of iconic writers such as Jorge Luis Borges, Octavio Paz, Juan Rulfo, James Joyce, and Javier Marías to show how literature has historically processed pain and loss. Furthermore, he offers a critique of modern society, questioning how technology and wealth are used today in attempts to extend life or ignore the inevitability of death.

The book fair, which runs from Thursday through Monday, continues to be a vital space for discussing the big existential questions found in today’s literature.