"It seems that the world is not getting any better and we know nothing yet about the near future. That's why we have to get a little tougher and adopt the skin of a sailor...", these are the words of Chilean Nobel Prize winner, Gabriela Mistral in one of the unpublished letters featured in this volume written to Margarita Nelken. This statement reveals the difficulties faced by some of the protagonists of contemporary Spanish culture in the 20th century after the end of the Civil War, as illustrated by these letters. This situation echoes the uncertainty that we face today, as such, this book is both timely and relevant.
Almost fifty letters -most of which are unpublished- written by Gabriela Mistral, Teresa Díez-Canedo, María Enciso, Maruja Mallo, Ana María Sagi, Francesca Prat i Barri, Margarita Nelken, Victoria Kent, Zenobia Camprubí, María Zambrano, Victoria Kent, and María de Unamuno, bear witness to the distress and painful circumstances these intellectuals of our 20th century had to endure, for whom the Chilean poetess represented an inexhaustible source of help. The sisterhood of this network of solidarity is highlighted, conveying a sense of intimacy, affection and friendship.
Francisca Montiel Rayo, writer and professor of Spanish literature at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and researcher of the works of Gabriela Mistral, Margarita Nelken or María Enciso, was in charge of editing this volume.