In 1923,  Spain declared 23 April The Day of the Book as a way to honour one of its most famous writers, Miguel de Cervantes, who died on that day in 1616. The Day of the Book occurs on the same day as the feast of Sant Jordi, an event that is celebrated widely in Spain. Both events hold especial significance in the region of Catalonia, where locals present each other with books and flowers as a way to commemorate love and the importance of literature. 

To mark the occasion in 2015, Dr María Recuenco Peñalver and Mr Samuel Martínez González (Spanish Section, UCT School of Languages and Literatures), with the support of the Spanish Embassy in South Africa, invited Dr Angel Tordesillas to host a special talk at the University of Cape Town. Dr Tordesillas is the Group CEO of Pescanova Namibia & South Africa and currently serves as the Honourary Consul to the Kingdom of Spain in Namibia. In 2006, the University of Namibia awarded him a degree of Doctor of Economics (Honoris Causa), for his contribution to job creation and for the promotion of education in Namibia. He has received many International accolades, is a prolific writer and regularly delivers lectures on History, Literature, Politics and Fishing. 

At the talk, Dr Tordesillas discussed his life time involvement with the Spanish Language or Castillian, as well as its rich history and literature. The focus of his address was the single prose Masterpiece “Don Quijote”, the first modern novel ever written and one of the funniest works in literature.  “He provided the audience of staff and students with a humurous and very interesting insight into the other three languages spoken in Spain today. He also spoke to us about the influence of the Spanish language on the English language and vice versa” said Dr Recuenco Peñalver.

A lively Q&A session followed the Day of the Book lecture. Audience members were treated to Spanish drinks and snacks and were able to browse through a selection of Collector’s Editions of Don Quixote and other rare books, which form part of Dr Tordesillas’ personal collection. These were on public display inside the UCT Oppenheimer Institute.

In 1995, UNESCO declared 23 April ‘World Book and Copyright Day,’ to mark the contribution that books have made in the proliferation of knowldege. 23 April also marks the anniversary of the death of another famous author, William Shakespeare.