On Thursday, November 27, at 6:30 p.m., the Cultural Center of El Corte Inglés in Santiago de Compostela will host the first discussion about the finalist novels of the 19th Casino de Santiago European Novel Prize.

'A noite das cebolas' (The Night of the Onions) by Rosa Aneiros will be the novel discussed in the literary colloquium, moderated by Marian Rey and Maribel Martín.

About the novel

The novel tells the story of Abril Andrade, who, after receiving the news that her cancer is terminal and learning of the death of her uncle Bastián, inherits an old family lighthouse. This place, located on a solitary coast, becomes her refuge to cope with her illness and her grief.

In this rugged and melancholic setting, Abril finds a treatise on onion cultivation that her uncle left her. This treatise not only teaches her how to plant and care for onions, but also becomes a metaphor for her own healing process: layers peeling away until she reaches her innermost core.

During her stay at the lighthouse, Abril encounters peculiar and endearing characters such as Lisco, a sly poacher who cares for her with humor and tenderness; Leonardo, a famished fox who follows her; and a girl who smells of urine or events, like a veterans' soccer tournament that stirs up the life of the village. All these elements help her reconnect with life, despite being in the midst of her "dark night."

The novel is a reflection on beauty, fragility, memory, care, and the joy of feeling alive even when all seems lost.

Rosa Aneiros crafts a profoundly moving story, with vivid natural settings and a sensitivity that invites calm and contemplative reading. Don't miss this interesting discussion at our center!