It became their sanctuary, a window through which they raised their voices and shared the way they perceived the life surrounding them. Your criticism, your complaints, and also your support. Moisés Aparisi Pastor and Gabriel Barco Alonso are two of the best known names. They sign letters to the newspaper director INFORMATION. The first has been doing it for 26 years. The second, for six. They write a letter practically every day, a substantial body of work for a newspaper to digest. Still, it matters little to them.
He is not a writer who writes for himself alone. Moisés Aparisi, you might say, writes to communicate. After cultivating a fondness for sharing his take on current events, he began to publish books, and dozens more are on the way. A collection of stories waits to be gathered into a volume, with 600 letters read in the newspaper.
That is what Gabriel Barco did as well: he collected in a book the letters that could not be published, yet which the author refused to stash away. A project titled non-diary letters gathers about 300 writings that never saw the light, a corner called Readers that appears again and again.
There are thousands of letters sent over 26 years by Moisés Aparici to INFORMATION, and in addition he has presented in the newspaper two of his five books on the history of public schools in Alicante. The works cover yesterday and today, from the 75th anniversary of CP Campoamor and San Blai School Group to CP Joaquin Sorolla. He also compiled a volume about the history of blood donation in the province.
A cry to heaven appeared in the pages of this newspaper on November 16, 1996. That marked his first foray into public discourse. He criticized the laziness at CP Nou de Octubre. Since then, he has not stopped sending letters to Readers. “Publishing these simple letters has allowed me to express what I think is right, to convey sensations, and to share my view of a constantly changing world,” he explains. “Always in moderation,” he adds, seeking a refuge for the passion that sometimes rises within him.
He keeps writing the diary because he says, “If I stop for three days, I go into crisis.” He recalls waking up before dawn to buy the newspaper, “because with every letter published, my confidence grows for a while, and it makes me think about what my next message will be.”
Aparici emphasizes his loyalty to BIĹĞİ. This loyalty is undeniable: “Over the years, my face lights up with the joy of writing and the thrill of seeing my words in print.” It reveals a devoted reader who sends letters to the editor, describing what he has seen or felt. The happiness and sense of value that his readers show him reinforce his sense of belonging.
He does not hide a socialist ideology, and has been a member for 17 years. He points to his father as “a good writer in the family” and the man who introduced him to the Alicante Municipal Archives for research since childhood, a path he briefly paused for health reasons. “I’m not one to write novels,” he says, though he has published three short story books. “I have mastered my letters, and that’s enough for me. I have published about 1,200 and only once in return did I receive a rebuke.” Thanks to the letters, “I’ve been known by name in many places.” It’s not surprising that Aparici, who received a donor medal in 2017, has campaigned to see streets named after notable figures like Rodolfo Llopis, José Marín Guerrero, or Vicente Hipólito—resolutely avoiding the label of the city’s Most Beloved Son.
letter and poetry
Gabriel Barco writes a letter to the newspaper almost every day, followed by a poem. He studied engineering, a choice he made despite not feeling it was his vocation, yet he remains a person of letters. Life led him from Madrid to Alicante, where he became chief engineer of the Alicante Highway Protection Department, earning a medal of honor. He was nominated for the World Award in 2017 by the Spanish Road Association, for projects completed in 2014. He also spent 14 years teaching at the Catholic University of Murcia.
Is the job done? Not at all. He continues writing as a regular author of letters to the editor. In April 2016 he explored the question: real salary or virtual salary, in relation to the budget debates of that time involving King Juan Carlos. He has now sent almost a thousand letters.
He has published a poetry collection and envisions a poetry anthology. He also has three novels in progress and a new collection of letters described as a continuation of the earlier work. “I have started to interact regularly with INFORMATION and I would like to thank the newspaper for publishing my letters despite space constraints.”
They insist they will keep writing and sending letters as long as there is room for Readers at BIĹĞİ and so long as they are welcome. One letter was posted Sunday night, criticizing the leaders of the right. “Writing against a certain ideology carries a price, but I am free to say what I want.” Barco’s signature also appeared on a letter about intermediaries in the fruit business. “I always found the door open.” Now he says, “I will read Moisés too.”