The Ámbito Cultural Santiago Reading Club holds a new session this November, a meeting space for those who enjoy literature and conversation around books. This time, the spotlight will be on Galician writer Cecilia F. Santomé, who will share with attendees her novel “As despedidas”, a work of great sensitivity about memory, loss and family bonds.

“The grandfather died today. Or maybe it was yesterday.” With this opening line, the author builds an intimate chronicle of grief that goes beyond the farewell to a loved one, becoming an evocation of childhood, affection and a way of life that fades with time. Over seventy‑two hours suspended between silence and sadness, memories surface through gestures, spaces and small everyday scenes, forming a moving reflection on absence and the mark left by those who shape our history.

During the event, Cecilia F. Santomé will talk with the audience about the themes that inspire the novel, her writing process and her literary career. With a degree in French Philology and a PhD in Literary Theory and Comparative Literature, the author has developed a solid narrative career recognized with awards such as the Nortear Literary Prize for young writers of Galicia and Northern Portugal. Her works include Quérote. Eu tampouco, Unha rapaza de provincias, and As despedidas. With her latest novel “Boundaries Road”, she won the XLIV Blanco‑Amor Novel Prize.

The session will be moderated by Miguel García‑Fernández (@lectureo), historian, researcher and reading mediator. The Ámbito Cultural Santiago Reading Club thus continues its commitment to bringing contemporary literature closer to the public, fostering dialogue between readers and authors, and consolidating itself as a reference space for the reading community of Compostela.

Event information:  

• 📅 Wednesday, 18 November  
• ⏰ 19:00 h  
• 📍 Ámbito Cultural Room · El Corte Inglés Santiago de Compostela  
• 📩 Seat reservation: ambitoculturalsantiago@elcorteingles.es  

Free activity. Limited seating. We look forward to seeing you!