Journey to the childhood of the canaries. That’s what the Tenerife journalist and writer proposes. Juan Cruz (Puerto de la Cruz, 1948) in his new novel, one thousand two hundred stepspresented at the Espacio R, La Recova Art Center in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. “I wanted to write this book, not to tell a true story, but to show that people lived in the post-war years, in a time very similar to the present,” the author warned, “we live in a very dangerous time when the far right is gaining power, and that is what this book focuses on. it connects those years with the present”.
life over the years post war in spain through the eyes of a child and the reflections of this situation in the cultural world. These are some of the brushstrokes that Juan Cruz offers in this new novel, where he pays homage to those persecuted by the Franco regime through the figure of the teacher in this story. Gladis de León, Member of the Cultural Council of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council, opened the night, highlighting the “good news” represented by the launch of this new novel for the 2000 Canary Islands Literary Prize. Esther Ropón of the Domingo Pérez Tiny Cultural Observatory praised Juan Cruz’s professional work and said, “With him, the Observatory won an award.”
one thousand two hundred steps It was published in May, and with it the Tenerife author returns to the narrative after the publication of his latest book, Citizen Polanco, launched last year and is where the man from Porto examines his personal and professional relationship with Grupo Prisa’s businessman and majority shareholder. Juan Cruz dedicates this new book to “Don Domingo” (Perez Tiny), an important figure in the archipelago culture and always emphasizing his generosity towards young people to change things. But, Ropón said, “this is all that Juan Cruz has produced in recent years, who has always had a collaborative spirit with the new generations of the Canary Islands.” In addition to these lines, Cruz also spoke kind words for Pérez Minik, “the lighthouse of the island.” The journalist, who did not hesitate to remember an anecdote with the author at the beginning of the meeting, said, “He deemed it necessary to show respect.”
Again one thousand two hundred steps Juan Cruz realized that since it is not an autobiographical novel, he has lived through all the stories that appear on these pages, or at least very similar ones. “I didn’t know it would have such social significance when I started living the time described in the book, but it was also emotional for me,” she lamented, “in that climate.” there was time great violence, That’s what got me to write this novel.
Journalist Javier Rodriguez from Cadena Sir Canarias also attended this presentation and highlighted: universality of the book Even today, many years have passed since the story took place, as it deals with the subjects that reflect the widest audiences. “This book is also dedicated to neighborhood kids because it shows what can happen to any of us,” the author summarized.
“We were poor and we didn’t know,” says the writer, “it was a very serious period, there were no songs in the houses and there was a gray atmosphere.” This is how Juan Cruz sums up the post-war years, which he wants to tell “respectfully”. “We were born to be ignorant”He thought about it, and was now grateful for the training he could get to write these stories.