New Literary Program Launches to Honor Canarian Intellectual Alfonso García-Ramos

Alfonso García-Ramos, a key 20th-century intellectual in the Canary Islands, is back in the cultural spotlight with the launch of an ambitious new literary program. Titled "Reading... Alfonso García-Ramos," the project begins this Tuesday, June 23, in Tenerife. It aims to share his legacy through a series of public readings that will eventually be compiled into an audiovisual podcast. Supported by the Canary Islands government and produced by the Center for Popular Canarian Culture, the initiative serves as a lead-up to honoring the author as the official figure of Canarian Letters in 2026.

The project is notable for its decentralized approach, taking literature out of traditional settings and into everyday spaces. The tour includes 17 locations, ranging from the Ateneo de La Laguna—which García-Ramos once led—to the former offices of the newspaper La Tarde, the auditorium named after him in Los Silos, and his gravesite in Tacoronte. To reach a wider audience, the program also includes sessions at farmers' markets, social centers, the Santa Cruz Psychiatric Hospital, and the Tenerife II Penitentiary Center, encouraging spontaneous participation from the public.

The opening event at the Sala San Borondón in La Laguna will feature historian Aarón León, Liti García-Ramos, actor Óscar Bacallado, and musicians Mayte Ramírez and Francisco Tacoronte. The event will also include remote contributions from figures such as Juan Cruz Ruiz, José Ramos Arteaga, and Samir Delgado. Throughout the week, a diverse group of participants—including students and journalists like Carmelo Rivero—will reflect on García-Ramos’s significant contributions to journalism and politics.

This tribute highlights the author’s multifaceted career. His novels, including Teneyda, Guad, and the posthumous Tristeza sobre un caballo blanco, are considered cornerstones of modern island literature. Beyond his writing, García-Ramos was a dedicated advocate for democracy during Spain’s transition period, served as the first Minister of Culture for the Cabildo of Tenerife, and taught at the Official School of Journalism.

Led by Gustavo Schiaffarino and José Luis Rufino, the project will record these sessions and incorporate rare photos provided by the author's family. This is the second year the Center for Popular Canarian Culture has run such a cycle, following a successful program on Alonso Quesada last year. Ultimately, the initiative seeks to preserve the memory of an essential author while promoting a love for reading across the island’s diverse communities.