We’ve got news of the book for our July bookclub! On July 14th at 1900, join us as we discuss The Dream of the Celt by Mario Vargas Llosa.
The Dream of the Celt (Spanish: El sueño del celta) is a novel written by Peruvian writer and 2010 Nobel laureate in literature Mario Vargas Llosa.
The novel was presented to the public November 3, 2010 during a special ceremony held in the Casa de América museum and cultural center in Madrid, that same day it appeared in bookstores. It has been a bestseller in Spain and was the most popular title at the XXIV Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara. An English translation by Edith Grossman was published in 2012.
The book is a novelization of the life of Anglo-Irish diplomat and Irish patriot Roger Casement (1864–1916). The title is itself the title of a poem written by the subject. The Nobel Prize committee in announcing Vargas Llosa’s selection in the following fashion: “[it is] for his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual’s resistance, revolt, and defeat,” seemed to simultaneously anticipate and chart the author’s course in his latest work, while clearly referencing some of his most acclaimed earlier novels.
Though remembered mainly in the Irish context, Roger Casement for a time played an important role in the history of Peru, Vargas Llosa’s own country, helping to expose and put an end to terrible exploitation of Native Americans in Peru’s Amazon region, known as the Putumayo genocide.
The book is available from all good and bad booksellers, on Kindle and audiobook. There are also lots of very affordable pre-owned copies on eBay.
What to Expect:
To get the most out of the event, there are a couple of things you should know, especially if you haven’t been to a book club before.
Read the book beforehand and be willing to offer opinions, thoughts, and comments.
Remember writing is an artform so we can all have different opinions about one book. As always, everyone is welcome to share in our safe space.
Book Your FREE Place!
As always, we strive to ensure that our events are a safe space for our LGBTQ community and friends and allies. Please remember, even if you’re not Irish, you’re more than welcome to join us. To do this, we ask that you register for the event beforehand. You can read our privacy policy here.
You can book your place at the event here or in the Eventbrite widget below.
The link will go live at 1855 on July 14th and our moderator will allow you enter the Zoom meeting. You will receive the link to join the event in your confirmation email. Please keep this safe. Will will also send you a reminder just before the event.
If you have any comments or questions, please email londonirishlgbtnetwork@gmail.com
London Irish LGBT Network 