• Banco Santander Foundation publishes From the Mundane to the Sublime (1934–1943) in its Obra Fundamental Collection, a collection of letters between Lolita Franco and a very young Camilo José Cela that is finally brought to light. This correspondence offers insight into the importance of this intellectual in the literary and personal development of the Nobel laureate, while also restoring her place in history.
• More than 130 letters reveal their deep friendship from the 1930s—a turbulent period in Spanish history—through to Cela’s breakthrough with The Family of Pascual Duarte in 1942, weaving together an unprecedented emotional, social, and cultural narrative.
• The anthology and foreword are by Adolfo Sotelo Vázquez, Professor of Spanish Literature at the University of Barcelona and Director of the Camilo José Cela Chair at Camilo José Cela University.

Madrid, April 22, 2026 – PRESS RELEASE

From the Mundane to the Sublime (1934–1942) is Banco Santander Foundation’s latest initiative to explore the cultural and literary history of the 20th century. The volume brings together previously unpublished correspondence between Dolores Franco and Camilo José Cela in the years leading up to the writer’s consolidation, from the age of eighteen to his critical recognition with The Family of Pascual Duarte. It offers a previously unknown perspective on both his formative process and Franco’s role within that intellectual and social context.

Edited and introduced by Adolfo Sotelo Vázquez, the book reveals an unknown Cela, still in the making, and a Lolita Franco who emerges as a decisive figure in his intellectual development. “This correspondence allows us to enter Cela’s most personal, literary, and human dimension,” notes Sotelo Vázquez, portraying a young, insecure poet full of literary obsessions and deep feelings toward Dolores, alongside the generous and abundant guidance that emerges through the letters.

Lolita Franco, a teacher, translator, and intellectual shaped within the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters in Madrid, maintained relationships with some of the most prominent figures of her time, such as Ortega y Gasset, Pedro Salinas, and María Zambrano—who recommended that Cela read and comment on her poems. Through these letters, her intellectual brilliance is revealed, as well as her role as a key interlocutor and guide in the early literary steps of the future Nobel Prize winner. “She is not a secondary figure, but a decisive woman in Cela’s intellectual formation,” the editor emphasizes.

The volume includes letters written between 1934 and 1942, a period marked by profound historical and personal change. In them, readers witness Cela’s literary awakening, influenced by the poetic movements of his time and by authors such as Pablo Neruda and Rafael Alberti, while also observing a relationship shaped by intellectual and emotional intensity. “We discover an unknown, insecure Cela taking his first steps as a writer,” adds Sotelo Vázquez.

Javier Expósito, Head of Literature at Banco Santander Foundation, highlights the dual value of this major collection of letters. On the one hand, “Dolores had always been remembered as the wife and mother of two major figures in our culture, Julián and Javier Marías, but we now give her the leading role she deserves in the history of Spanish culture.” On the other, the volume presents “a surprising, unmasked Cela—deeply human and full of contrasts—who will astonish many readers.”

Beyond its literary value, From the Mundane to the Sublime stands as a direct testimony of its time, where everyday life, intellectual concerns, and literary vocation are closely intertwined. Through the letters, readers gain access to the space in which writing takes shape. “The letters show how everyday life and literary aspiration coexist,” adds the editor. They also reveal the hopes and passion of a Cela who, in just a few years, moves from adolescence to literary success.

By recovering the figure of Lolita Franco and highlighting her relationship with Camilo José Cela, Banco Santander Foundation contributes to a broader and more inclusive understanding of Spanish literary history, bringing to light voices and trajectories that have long remained in the background. Readers can also enjoy a video podcast interview with the editor via the book and the Foundation’s YouTube channel.

About Banco Santander Foundation

Banco Santander Foundation works to contribute to building a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable society. To this end, it develops initiatives structured around three main areas: promoting culture as a tool to understand the world around us, social action to support the progress of vulnerable groups, and education and entrepreneurship as drivers of society.

Across all its programs, the Foundation fosters collaborative networks with the third sector to address major global challenges.