The Faculty of Philology, in collaboration with the National Library, organized an event to commemorate Women Writers' Day, an initiative aimed at recovering the legacy of women in literature and combating historical discrimination. The event featured a conversation with Remedios Zafra, National Essay Award 2025 winner for her work El informe, a round table on literary creation, a meeting of reading clubs, an exhibition on women translators, and a book tasting with reading recommendations.
During the inaugural session, the Vice-Dean of Culture, Transfer, and Institutional Relations, Cristina Oñoro, highlighted the Faculty of Philology as the ideal venue for this celebration, as it "celebrates women writers every day of the year." Addressing an audience of university community members and high school students, Oñoro introduced Remedios Zafra, whose book El informe explores themes such as "the jobs we love."
In her speech, Zafra defended the capacity of the Humanities to build community and transform the world. With a realistic yet optimistic outlook, the author emphasized the importance of enjoying the creative process itself, not just the outcome. "Defaulting to AI makes us lose what makes us more human and gives us more pleasure," she stated, positioning herself against the acceleration driven by the current technocapitalist world and advocating for literature that "pricks or disturbs us."
Zafra drew parallels between technocapitalism and patriarchy, describing them as oppressive systems sustained by the self-exploitation of the oppressed. However, she expressed hope in feminist and community movements, such as reading clubs and the encampments in Puerta del Sol, which she considers "pillars of culture creation" in the country, fostering independent and collective thought.
The author recommended reading poetry for its ability to address the "hardly narrable," as well as adopting feminist strategies in literature and using imagination to foster empathy, allowing us to "put ourselves in the shoes of people who do not think like us."
