The Sobremesa Podcast

In this episode, historian Pablo Sánchez León joins Alan to explore the powerful and often disturbing alliance between the Catholic Church and the Franco regime. We go beyond the conventional narrative of the Spanish Civil War to uncover how the conflict functioned as a modern Catholic holy war — framed not just as a political struggle, but as a divine crusade to purify Spain.We discuss how anti-clerical violence was weaponised by Francoist propaganda to dehumanise Republicans as non-Spanish, even non-human, casting them as enemies of the faith rather than political opponents. Pablo explains how this fusion of religion and repression ultimately turned inward, contributing to the regime's long-term instability.We also look at how these narratives still shape Spain's political memory today, and why the Church's complicity — and later dissent — remains an unresolved part of the democratic transition.If you like what we produce, and want more, please think of contributing and making the podcast sustainable going forward:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Last Monday at around 12.30 in the afternoon, the Iberian peninsula suffered the worst blackout in Europe over the last decades as 55 million people in Spain, Portugal and parts of south-west France were left without electricity for hours. In Madrid's metro alone, there were 150,000 people travelling on the network when the power went and they were forced to evacuate while many high-speed trains were left stranded in the middle of nowhere on a hot late April day.To discuss the political fallout from last Monday's national outage in more detail, Alan and I are joined by Ben Wray, a Basque based journalist whose work has appeared in Wired Magazine, Jacobin and The National.If you like what we produce, and want more, please think of contributing and making the podcast sustainable going forward: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Francisco Franco and Sobremesa Podcast is launching a series of episodes examining in detail and from various angles Francoism and the dictatorial regime built during his 40 year rule over Spain from the end of the Civil War in 1939 to his death in 1975. To start the series, we are delighted to be rejoined by renowned historian and biographer Paul Preston who discusses his monumental biography of Franco, offering a fascinating psychological portrait of the dictator and talking to Eoghan and Alan about the paradoxes of the Gallego's personality.If you like what we produce, and want more, please think of contributing and making the podcast sustainable going forward: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Semana Santa is is one of the most important holidays of the year in Spain, with the main focus being on the popular processions organized by religious brotherhoods, or cofradías. Today on Sobremesa Podcast Alan and Eoghan are joined by the anthropologist Carlos Cañete to talk about both the oppressive and emancipatory sides of Semana Santa as a religious and cultural institution.Carlos is a tenured researcher at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and was the Edward Said fellow at Columbia University from 2020-2022. Donate here ⬇️https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

In this episode of The Sobremesa Podcast, Alan speaks with Alberto Corsín Jiménez, anthropologist and author of Free Culture and the City: Hackers, Commoners, and Neighbors in Madrid, 1997–2017. They explore how the principles of free software, Creative Commons, and hacker culture shaped Madrid's urban activism—especially in the lead-up to and aftermath of the 15M movement. From the Pardo Media Lab to the reimagining of public space as an open and shared resource, this conversation looks at how free culture became a political and spatial experiment.What does it mean to claim a free city in an era where everything comes with a price tag? And what lessons can we take from these movements as digital and urban space become increasingly privatized? Tune in for a deep dive into the intersection of technology, activism, and urban commons.If you enjoy the podcast and want to help cover production costs, consider buying us a coffee. Your support helps keep these conversations going. Every contribution makes a difference!Donate here ⬇️https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Spain's housing crisis has returned, but unlike 2008, there's no financial collapse—just rising rents, increasing evictions, and a housing market that feels out of reach for many. What's driving this crisis, and what can be done to address it?In this episode of The Sobremesa Podcast, Alan speaks with Dr. Koldo Casla, a Senior Lecturer in International Human Rights Law at Essex Law School, to explore the roots of Spain's housing problems. They discuss how the current crisis differs from 2008, the impact of policy and speculation, and whether housing should be recognised as a fundamental social right.A crucial conversation on one of Spain's most urgent issues.If you enjoy the podcast and want to help cover production costs, consider buying us a coffee. Your support helps keep these conversations going. Every contribution makes a difference!Donate here ⬇️https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremeyImage used under Creative Commons, author Barcex

Last weekend saw the European far-right once again converge on Madrid as Vox hosted a summit of party leaders from the European Patriots group. Already acting as an active lobby for Musk in the EU parliament to ensure there is no regulation of social media, the far-right grouping are jubilant at their prospects for the next 4 years after the election of Trump.That Vox's Santiago Abascal was named president of the Patriots' grouping last year was further evidence of how the Spanish far-right tend to punch above their electoral weight on the international stage. To discuss last Saturday's event and Vox's place within the global far-right, I am joined by Connor Mulhern. Connor is a campaign strategist and the lead researcher at the ‘Reactionary International' investigative project - an initiative from the Progressive International to map out how the far-right operates globally.You can find the project's published work here: https://reactionary.international/And join its Telegram group here: https://t.me/reactionaryinternationalPlease also consider donating to our Buy Me a Coffee Page here: https://buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

It has been a year of near constant parliamentary deadlock for Spain's left-leaning government but also one of strong economic growth in comparison to other eurozone economies. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialist Party won the Catalan elections in May and were once again the largest social democratic force in Europe after June's European parliament elections. Yet Sanchez and PSOE have also be subject to a long string of judicial investigations - most of which seem politically motivated. Yet beyond the headlines of these cases, and with the government's legislative agenda largely blocked, the country's acute housing crisis and the difficult clean up operation after the floods in Valencia are both ongoing in the background. To discuss the year's political event Alan and Eoghan are joined by Laura Seoane and Joe Haslam, a professor at IE University. I hope you enjoy our discussion. Please consider supporting the podcast during our end of year fundraising drive at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

This week Eoghan talks to the author and journalist Michael Eaude. Michael is the author nine books, including ‘Catalonia, a Cultural History', ‘Triumph at Midnight of the Century - A Critical Biography of Arturo Barea' and ‘Sails and Winds - A Cultural History of Valencia'. And during the last 25 years he has also worked as a self-described "necrologist",  writing some 70 obituaries for The Guardian on leading cultural and political figures from Spain's 20th century. He as now just published his first novel - ‘The Bones in the Forest' - available from Clapton Press. As with his celebrated non-fiction work, the novel deals with Spain's reckoning with its recent past and the country's cultural and historic fault lines as the action jumps back and forth between the revolutionary 1930s and then the early 2000s.  If you like what we are producing, please consider making a donation at our Buy Me a Coffee page here - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey⁠

This week writer and tour guide Nick Lloyd brings Catherine on a a more atypical historical route of Barcelona to uncover the lesser known layers to the city's history. They start at Estació de França, a historic train station not far from the city's port where the International Brigades arrived to Spain. They then walk down to Ciutadella Park, where Barcelona's zoo is located to discuss the haunting effects the war had on the animals and the origins of the park. They finish at Pompeu Fabra University, a building that still bears the scars of fascist bombings and which was known during the Civil War as the Karl Marx Barracks. As always, if you like what we are producing, please consider making a donation to our buy me a coffee page or leave a review where you listen to your podcasts. https://buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Writer and musician, Troy Nahumko, joins Alan to discuss his new book Stories Left in Stone, Trails and Traces in Cáceres, Spain. They discuss the old town of Cáceres, a UNESCO world heritage site, Game of Thrones, the world's oldest handprint, cave art and regional politics. You can buy Troy's book here If you like what we are producing, please consider making a donation at our Buy Me a Coffee page here - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey Troy Nahumko (1973, Edmonton, Canada) left Canada at an early age. First as a traveling musician around the United States and Europe, then as a writer and teacher in countries as diverse as Yemen, Azerbaijan, Libya and Laos. He has published travel pieces in newspapers and magazines around the world and was awarded the Mercedes Calles y Carlos Ballestero prize for an article that was published both in Toronto and London. His most recent work includes his bi-weekly opinion column in the HOY, the Mid-Spain section of the recent Lonely Planet guide and he has just published his first book, Stories Left in Stone, Trails and Traces in Cáceres, Spain.

130,000 people protested in Valencia last Saturday demanding regional premier Carlos Mazón resign from his post for his disastrous management of the floods which devastated the area two weeks ago. The death toll stands at 223 people while hundreds of thousands of others have had their homes and places of work gutted. Eoghan spoke to journalist Leah Pattem about the protests and the ongoing recovery and clean up operations in Valencia. Leah is the founder of https://madridnofrills.com/

Last Tuesday evening as thousands of people were commuting home from work and many others continued at their jobs in supermarkets, cinemas, factories, beauty shops and restaurants, unprecedented flash floods hit the Valencia region. That morning at 8am the Spanish Met office issued its highest warning level of maximum red, warning of extreme danger. But the right-wing regional government of Carlos Mazon failed to issue a civil protection alert to residents' mobile phones until 8.15 pm that evening (a full 12 hours later)- by which time the worst of the flooding had already hit. Serious questions are being raised about Mazon's disastrous emergency management as rescue operations continue amid mass destruction and death. The death toll currently stands at 207 but is likely to rise substantially in the coming days while it remains far from clear when any degree of normal life can return to the region. Today on Sobremesa podcast we talk about the tragic events this week along Spain's Eastern coast and the political failures and fallout from the floods.

This week Eoghan talks to author and journalist Dan Hancox about his new book 'Multitudes: How Crowds Made The Modern World'. It is a fascinating exploration of the collective joy and emancipatory  potential of different forms of mass gatherings while also tracing the obsession of elites and the forces of law and order in policing, delegitimizing and suppressing crowds. Throughout Multitudes Dan returns to examples of the exuberance and potency of Spanish crowds - from Cadiz Carnaval to the 2012 general strike in Madrid. If you like what we are producing, please consider making a donation at our Buy Me a Coffee page here - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

This week Eoghan talks to financial journalist Gareth Gore. In his new book Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church Gore opens the lid on the extremist, reactionary sect Opus Dei. Opus was initially set up against the tumultuous backdrop of 1930s Spain and went to play a leading role in the Francoist dictatorship - both in education and then in 1957 with the appointment of three of its members to cabinet. Gore traces how Opus went from Francoist Spain to playing a vanguard role in reactionary movements globally in recent decades - with its network of influence and patronage in Washington reaching its peak during Trump's 2016 presidency.  If you like what we are producing, please consider making a donation at our Buy Me a Coffee page here - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

The island of El Hierro is at the centre of the Canary Islands' current surge in irregular migration, receiving 13,000 refugees and immigrants this year – 2,000 more than its total residents. As hundreds die every month on the passage from West Africa to the popular tourist islands, the Spanish right are now weaponising the issue. Leader of the far-right Vox Santiago Abascal denounced what he characterised as the “mass-scale invasion” of El Hierro by “illegal migrants” while conservative media outlets dubbed it “the Lampedusa of the Atlantic”, in reference to the Italian migration hotspot where a state of emergency was declared last year. “The far-right want to turn El Hierro into a symbol of division but they won't succeed,” insists Amado Carballo, head of social affairs in the island's local administration. This week Eoghan and Catherine discuss the humanitarian tragedy on the Canaries and its politicization by the far-right. Please also see Eoghan's article: https://bylinetimes.com/2024/10/02/canary-islands-el-hierro-migrant-crossings/

This week Catherine talks to Sophie Turbutt about one of the most widely read anarchist magazines in 1930s Spain, La Revista Blanca, Founded by the Montseny family, this anarchist magazine featured a novelty for the time, an advice column that offered answers to questions about gender, women's bodies, sex and sexuality. - topics that were limited in their discussion and clouded by taboos, rumours and misinformed practices in a Spain still very much in the grip of Catholic morality. Catherine and Sophie discuss both the questions and answers of these advice columns, on topics such as free love, menstruation, bisexuality and abortion, and how, Federica Montseny, daughter of the magazine's founders, would come to legalise abortion for the first time in 1936 as minister for health minister in Catalonia.

Jim Jump, the editor of the poetry anthology "Poems from Spain: British and Irish International Brigaders on the Spanish Civil War", joins Alan to discuss the collection of poems that stretch the length Spanish Civil War and after. All poems were written by men and women participating in the International Brigades. They cover the lives of the poets themselves, recite poetry from the book and discuss why it was so prominent in the war. The collection can be brought from the publishers Lawrence and Wishart's website here If you like what we are producing, please consider making a donation at our Buy Me a Coffee page here - ⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

On the eve of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936, Barcelona was set to host the Popular Olympic games. Bringing together athletes from around the world under the banner of anti-fascism, the event was meant to take place just weeks before the Nazi Olympics in Berlin. Yet as the athletes gathered for the opening ceremony, the military coup was launched, in turn, leading to revolution in the city's streets. In this podcast, Catherine talks to James Stout, author of 'The Popular Front'. Barcelona and the 1936 Popular Olympics', about the organisation of the event, the nature of popular sport in Catalonia, and how the Popular Olympics can be seen as both one of the first casualties of the Spanish Civil War and also one of the first great examples of international anti-fascist solidarity and cooperation. If you like what we are producing, please consider making a donation at our Buy Me a Coffee page here - ⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Berna León, Javier Carbonell and Javier Soria join Alan to discuss to discuss the book La desigualdad en España (Inequalities in Spain) published by Lengua de Trapo. The book includes a prologue from Thomas Piketty and over 30 - international and national - experts examine inequalities in Spain, from the historical and ongoing causes to symptoms and possible cures. The three editors discuss how the book came about and some of the Spanish specifics when it comes to inequalities. You can get the book here If you like what we are producing, please consider making a donation at our Buy Me a Coffee page here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

This week Eoghan is joined by journalist Richard Fitzpatrick to discuss Spain's incredible victory at the European Championships in Germany. Energised by its two daredevil wingers, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, Spain won all seven matches at the tournament, while playing wonderful attacking, flowing football. Yet if Yamal and Williams offered the world another, more multicultural image of Spain, the team also visualised a number of important social contradictions too. Richard contributes to a number of outlets and newspapers, such as the BBC, The Irish Examiner and The New York Times. He is also the author of El Clásico: Barcelona v Real Madrid, Football's Greatest Rivalry. If you like what we are producing, please consider making a donation at our Buy Me a Coffee page here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Matthew Machin-Autenrieth, an Ethnomusicologist from the University of Aberdeen, joins Alan to discuss the world famous dance from Spain. They discuss the origins of the musical genre, the different components of the songs, the regional and national politics that have shaped how flamenco is seen over the world and how it has been used as a form of protest by groups such as Flo6x8. Matthew also gives some tips on how to get into flamenco. If you enjoy what we produce then please give us a review on your preferred podcast platform and consider donating to our buy me a coffee fund to help the podcast be more sustainable. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Heidi Backes joins Alan to discuss the haunted houses, silent spaces and traumatic memories often seen in post-Franco gothic fiction, such as in Carlos Ruiz Zafón's international bestseller The Shadow of the Wind.' Her new book Spectral Spain looks at how Gothic literature has become a leading genre in contemporary Spain - one capable of confronting the traumatic memories of the country's past. If you enjoy what we produce then please give us a review on your preferred podcast platform and consider donating to our buy me a coffee fund to help the podcast be more sustainable. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey Books mentioned in the episode: Adelaida García Morales: "Aunt Águeda" ("La tía Águeda") and "Elisa's Secret" ("El secreto de Elisa") Julio Llamazares: "The Yellow Rain" ("La lluvia amarilla") Ana María Matute: "Uninhabited Paradise" ("Paraíso inhabitado") Carlos Ruiz Zafón: "Prisoner of Heaven" ("El prisionero del cielo") More about her book here Heidi Backes examines haunting as the perfect motif for Spanish authors to portray the tension between modernity and the imposition of a nationalized tradition throughout the twentieth century—noting not just the trauma of the civil war and the resulting dictatorship of Franco, but also the continuing and widespread disenchantment during and after the transition. It is a study of multiple manifestations of individual and collective trauma in texts written after the transition, which will assist readers' understanding of the relationships between Gothic fear, trauma, and spectrality. Link to publisher's site https://www.uwp.co.uk/book/spectral-spain/

Alan is joined by the podcast's new co-host Laura Seoane, together they talk with political philosopher Tim Syme about the results of the European election, Yolanda Diaz's resignation, the breakthrough of Se Acabó la Fiesta (SALF) and what a rightward shift means for the European Union. If you enjoy what we produce then please give us a review on your preferred podcast platform and consider donating to our buy me a coffee fund to help the podcast be more sustainable. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

This week Eoghan talks to researcher and sociologist Iago Moreno about the evolution of online politics in Spain from the techno-optimist vision of the 15M movement in 2011, with its promise of networked democracy, to the rise of the contemporary fachosfera - the far-right and reactionary online eco-system. Iago also talks about the emergence of a new extremist platform to the right of Vox, Se acabó la fiesta, led by reactionary influencer Alvise Pérez. If you enjoy what we produce then please give us a review on your preferred podcast platform and consider donating to our buy me a coffee fund to help the podcast be more sustainable. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

This week Catherine talks to historian Brendan Von Briesen about how the organisation of skilled labour in medieval and early modern Barcelona, in the form of journeyman's guilds, can be seen as the foundation of the city's later labour and trade union movement.

This week Eoghan is joined by historian Andrew Dowling to discuss yesterday's historic Catalan election, which saw a definitive end to the decade long push for independence known as the procés. For the first time since 2012, the pro-independence parties failed to secure a majority of seats in the new parliament. As the Socialists secured historic gains, the progressive nationalist vote collapsed, with the incumbent ERC suffering heavier than expect losses as  the centre of gravity within the independence bloc also shifted right towards Junts. Yet, it remains far from clear what the exact makeup of the next the Catalan government will be. If you enjoy what we produce then please give us a review on your preferred podcast platform and consider donating to our buy me a coffee fund to help the podcast be more sustainable. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

This week Alan is joined by culture critic and researcher Anita Fuentes to discuss Spanish celebrities and politics. Should celebrities use their platforms to stand up for injustices like the genocide in Palestine and a recent revival in the Spanish MeToo movement? Furthermore, Rosalia is often claimed to have a progressive image, but is she? From real estate to cultural appropriation much would indicate that she isn't. We look at the reality behind the image of Spain's largest international star today. If you enjoy what we produce then please give us a review on your preferred podcast platform and consider donating to our buy me a coffee fund to help the podcast be more sustainable. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

After announcing last Wednesday that he was considering stepping down as Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez revealed this morning he was staying in the job so to fight for "the democratic renewal" of the country. In a move straight out of his favourite TV series Baron Noir, he has orchestrated another theatrical gesture or 'golpe de efecto' so as to rally the Left and upend the current terms of political debate in Spain. If he has regained the initiative, the question is how long will this last? Please consider supporting the podcast at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

This week Eoghan is joined by journalist Ben Wray to discuss last night's Basque elections, which saw historic gains for pro-independentist left EH Bildu - with the new Basque parliament being the most nationalist in 40 years. But Ben argues that this does not mean that independence is any closer but in fact the results reinforces Pedro Sanchez's centrality within the current governing arrangement in Spain. Please consider supporting the podcast at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

This week Eoghan and new co-host Catherine Howley talk to Richard Baxell about his new book 'Forged in Spain' which vividly recounts the lives of the extraordinary men and women who left their families and friends across Britain to risk their lives in the Spanish Civil War. Richard is a historian and former Research Fellow at the London School of Economics and is currently the International Brigade Memorial Trust's historical consultant. 'Forged in Spain' is available to buy from Clapton Press: https://theclaptonpress.com/forged-in-spain-richard-baxell/ Please consider supporting the podcast at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

This week's guest is Paul Preston, one of the foremost historians of the Spanish Civil War. Eoghan talked to Paul about his new book 'Perfidious Albion', which is out today from Clapton Press and which turns the spotlight on Britain's crucial but often overlooked involvement in the war. Preston argues that the country's policy of non-intervention was a crucial factor in the outcome of the war and reflected "the barely disguised sympathy of the Conservative government of Great Britain" for the military rebels. Buy a copy of the book here: https://theclaptonpress.com/perfidious-albion-britain-and-the-Spanish-civil-war/ Please consider supporting the podcast at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Yesterday's Portuguese general election saw a surge in support for the far-right Chega party, which tripled its vote share from six to eighteen percent while the governing Socialist Party saw a steep fall in support. To analyse the results, Eoghan is joined by journalist Joana Ramiro - whose work has appeared in The New Statesman, The Guardian and Novara Media. Please consider supporting the podcast at: ⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Eoghan is joined by Christopher James Evans to discuss his new book 'Los Leones: The Unique Story of Athletic Club Bilbao', which is out this month. It looks at Athletic's century long history and the development of its Basque-only footballing philosphy, which makes it stand out as a unique among the great clubs in world football. Please consider supporting the podcast at: ⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

This week on Sobremesa podcast we are discussing this month's 85th anniversary of La Retirada, which saw 500,000 people flee Catalunya and into France as Franco's fascist forces occupied Barcelona. Eoghan speaks to graduate war historian and podcast host Uma Arruga i López about La Retirada and and the experience of Spanish Republicans as exiles in France. Please consider supporting the podcast at: ⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Eric Calderwood, Associate Professor of Comparative and World Literature at the University of Illinois, joins Alan to discuss his new book On Earth or in Poems: The Many Lives of al-Andalus (Harvard University Press). They talk about how various groups such as feminists, Palestinians and directors making Ramadan soap-operas are all turning to the memory of al-Andalus and using it in different ways. You can buy the book here The Sobremesa Podcast has grown so much in 2023. We released 26 episodes on topics ranging from Spain's general election to the Civil War and on to Spanish cinema, Gaudi and anarchism and Al Ándalus. Please help us continue to grow and make the podcast sustainable in the coming year by supporting us here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey Spotify Playlist from Eric: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QrhqjTPPUt515FZcPriCl?si=ff2ae88ccf5b4861 Further reading of interest: Abu-Lughod, Lila. Do Muslim Women Need Saving? Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2013.  Bennison, Amira K. The Almoravid and Almohad Empires. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2016. Calderwood, Eric. Colonial al-Andalus: Spain the Making of Modern Moroccan Culture. Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2016. Calderwood, Eric. On Earth or in Poems: The Many Lives of al-Andalus. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2023. Civantos, Christina. The Afterlife of al-Andalus: Muslim Iberia in Contemporary Arab and Hispanic Narratives. Albany: SUNY Press, 2017. Darwish, Mahmud. Once astros: Poesía. Trans. María Luisa Prieto González. Madrid: Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional, 2000. Elinson, Alexander E. Looking Back at al-Andalus: The Poetics of Loss and Nostalgia in Medieval Arabic and Hebrew Literature. Leiden: Brill, 2009. Manzano Moreno, Eduardo. “Qurtuba: Algunas reflexiones críticas sobre el califato de Córdoba y el mito de la convivencia.” Awraq 7 (2013): 225-246. Martínez Montávez, Pedro. Al-Andalus, España, en la literatura árabe contemporánea. Málaga: Arguval, 1992. Menocal, María Rosa. The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain. New York: Back Bay Books, 2002. Scott, Rachel, AbdoolKarim Vakil, and Julian Weiss, eds. Al-Andalus in Motion: Travelling Concepts and Cross-Cultural Concepts. London: King's College London CLAMS, 2021.

This week Eoghan is joined by Bécquer Seguín to talk about his new book 'The Op-Ed Novel'. The book examines how many of Spain's most renowned writers over the last thirty years have combined novel writing with publishing regular op-ed columns in El País. As Almudena Grandes, Javier Cercas, Antonio Muñoz Molina, Fernando Aramburu and Javier Marías engaged in public debates about Spain's past and its contemporary ills across the opinion pages of the country's paper of record, their own literary work increasingly took on political themes - with controversies first stirred in El País running over into the pages of their novels. Bécquer Seguín is Assistant Professor of Iberian Studies at John Hopkins University and a regular contributor to The Nation magazine. The Podcast has grown so much in 2023 and we released 26 episodes on topics ranging from Spain's general election to the Civil War and on to Spanish cinema, Gaudi and anarchism and Al Ándalus. Please help us continue to grow and make the podcast sustainable in the coming year by supporting us here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

2023 has been another great year for Spanish cinema. Eoghan sits down with Anita Fuentes to discuss some of the best films coming out of Spain over the last 12 months, including: 20.000 especies de abejas, As bestas, Matria and Las chicas están bien. Anita also recommends Spanish series La Mesías. The Podcast has grown so much in 2023 and we have released 26 episodes on topics ranging from Spain's general election to the Civil War and on to Spanish cinema, Gaudi and anarchism and Al Ándalus. Please help us continue to grow and make the podcast sustainable in the coming year by supporting us this holiday season: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey Anita Fuentes is a La Caixa Doctoral Fellow and is researching TikTok misogyny at the Complutense university in Madrid.

2023 was the year of Pedro Sánchez living dangerously - from July's surprise snap election to his wager on a Catalan amnesty law so as to secure a further term in office. Alan and Eoghan are joined by Professor Joe Haslam from IE business school to discuss the year's events. The Podcast has grown so much in 2023 and we have released 25 episodes on topics ranging from Spain's general election to the Civil War and on to Spanish cinema, Gaudi and anarchism and Al Ándalus. Please help us continue to grow and make the podcast sustainable in the coming year by supporting us this holiday season: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Arron Shulman joins Alan to discuss his book The Age of Disenchantments: The Epic Story of Spain's Most Notorious Literary Family and the Long Shadow of the Spanish Civil War. Here he explores Spain's chaotic 20th century via the lense of the larger-than-fiction Panero family. They discuss the cult classic documentary El desencanto (1976), which portrays the family at the peak of the country's transition from dictatorship to democracy. With the ghost of the patriarchal father remaining off-screen, some have come to see this film as a metaphor for the nation following the death of Franco. Aaron also tells us how their lives continued after the film and what become of them.

After weeks of tension, uncertainty and violent protests, Spain has a new progressive coalition government as prime minister Pedro Sanchez won an investiture vote today in the Spanish parliament. Eoghan sat down with Sumar MP Txema Guijarro a few hours after the vote to discuss the events of recent weeks, the Catalan amnesty deal and where the country's left goes from here.

Miguel Hurtado is a human rights activist and clergy sex abuse survivor. He sits down with Alan to discuss the recent report from the Spanish government that estimates 440,000 people in the country have been victims of sexual abuse by the Catholic church. They discuss the methodology and content of the report and later the reaction. They also discuss Spain's recent changes in child protection and its flaws along with the need to abolish the statute of limitations when it comes to child abuse.

Freelance journalist James Badcock has reported on the numerous scandals of Juan Carlos closely over the years from dodgy dealings to his mistresses. He has even interviewed Juan Carlos's ex-lover Corinna. James joins Alan to discuss Leonor's recent elevation to heiress, Felipe's battles and, of course, the playboy king himself. This is the sordid story of the modern Spanish Royal family.

Carlos Delclós is a Professor of Sociology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. He joins Alan to clarify what gentrification is and is not, what different types of gentrification there are and how they have had an effect on Spain's biggest city and tourist destination Barcelona.

In today's episode Eoghan is joined by historian Andrew Dowling to discuss the ongoing efforts to form a government in Spain, with negotiations currently centred on the possibility of a sweeping amnesty law for the Catalan independence movement. Pro-independence Junts' pragmatic turn since September suggests a confidence and suppy deal can reached to give Pedro Sanchez 4 more years in Moncloa but internal rivalries within the independence movement could complicate issues.

Joana Ramiro joins Alan to discuss the changing cityscape of Lisbon and Porto. As a Portuguese journalist living in the UK, Joana was shocked when she went back to her home city for 6 months during the first COVID-19 lockdown. Following several articles on the changes taking place, specifically regarding housing, Joana sits down with Alan to explore the causes and responses to this simmering crisis. Related articles: https://staging.tribunemag.co.uk/2021/03/a-letter-from-lisbon https://jacobin.com/2023/03/portugal-lisbon-porto-rent-increases-housing-crisis

Alan is joined by David from Secret Kingdoms English book shop in barrio de las Letras, Madrid. They talk about some unusual books in English about Spain. Books discussed: Miguel de Cervantes - The Banks of Algeas/ The Great Sultana María de Zayas y Sotomayor - Exemplary Tales of Love and Tales of Disillusion Maria Dueñas- a Vineyard in Andalusia Salvador Dali, Marx brothers - Giraffes on Horseback Salad Gerald Brenan - South of Granada/ Spanish Labyrinth / The Literature of the Spanish People Almudena Grande - Ages of Lulu/ The Frozen Heart Ben Lerner - Leaving the Atocha Station Brett Hetherington- Slow Travels in Unsung Spain (20th Sept) Tim Parfitt - Barcelona connection/ A Load of Bull https://thesecretkingdoms.net/

This week Eoghan is joined by independent journalist Leah Pattem to discuss the fallout from Spanish Football Federation chief Luis Rubiales' alleged sexual assault of Jenni Hermoso at the World Cup final and why most international coverage is ignoring a crucial player in this story: Spain's powerful feminist movement.

Mahmoud Roshdy joins Alan to discuss an alternative way of teaching and looking at the history of Arabic Spain. With 8oo years of history, this new approach makes for interesting listening when compared to the average history class. Alan and Eoghan also discuss the Women's World Cup and what is happening politically after the elections. Photo by Mahmoud Hosny Roshdy

This week Eoghan sits down to talk to Dr. Brittany Kennedy from Tulane University about the two contemporary Spains. On August 17th the new speaker of the Spanish parliament recognised the right for MPs to intervene in the Congreso using the three minority languages of Spain: Catalan, Basque and Gallego - thus ensuring the state's democratic institutions better reflected the diverse and plurinational nature of the country. At the same time, Spain has also witnessed a reactionary wave over the last 5 years, in which authoritarian right-wing populisms have drawn on the symbols and elements of the past to articulate a revitalised exclusionary nationalism. Eoghan and Brittany discuss these two interconnecting phenomenon, as well as Spain's women's World Cup team, Cola Cao ads and why it might be okay to like Semana Santa!

This week Eoghan is joined by Vicente Rubio-Pueyo to discuss how last month's general election results fit into the wider political context of Spanish politics since the 2008 financial crisis. Vicente also explains why he believes Pedro Sánchez can be compared to the figure of Adolfo Suárez in Spain's last conjunctural crisis during the country's transition to democracy.