Maestral Literary Evenings continues this Friday with a gastro-literary evening featuring Susana Fortes, the acclaimed author of Waiting for Robert Capa, and the newly released There is Nothing to Lose. Fortes, a Planeta award finalist in 2003, will present her latest novel at this collaboration between Maestral and the Vectalia event series. Set in rural Galicia, the evening explores how truth can be elusive and how careful, patient pursuit of memory shapes understanding. The author will share insights during a dinner and later engage with a journalist to answer questions from attendees, offering a rare window into the craft of storytelling and journalism.
Novel
There Is Nothing to Lose follows Nicolás, the Hugo brothers, and the young Blanca. On August 12, 1979, Nicolás and Hugo vanish from a small town in Baixo Miño, while Blanca is discovered in a wicker basket, unable to recall what happened. Twenty-five years later, bone fragments unearthed at an archaeological site hint that the missing brothers may have survived in some form of memory and mystery. From that moment, Blanca and journalist Lois Lobo set out on a challenging quest to uncover the truth, navigating the stain of a community that keeps its secrets close and confronting the taboos that bind a quiet society. The investigation unfolds through fragile memories and the daily residue of ordinary life as it wrestles with what truth looks like when it refuses to be easily spoken.
Themed menu and wine
The dinner menu for these evenings, which has run since 2016, was crafted by Maestral’s culinary team and inspired by the pages of the book. Guests can begin with a caprese salad paired with marinated anchovies, then proceed to a plate of octopus a la raña with traditional cachelos and crispy torreznos. The main course features grilled cod complemented by a delicate crab cream, while dessert rounds out the course with apple pie, a drizzle of cream, and vanilla ice cream. The themed wine pairing showcases Magnus and Blanch, a red oak and a white Albariño from Winery Casa Sicilia 1707.
Friday, October 21, at 8:30 p.m., this event will take place at Usta Restaurant. The dinner price is set at 40 euros, with a bottle of Cesilia wine included. Reservations can be made by phone or email through the organizer’s main channels.
Author
Susana Fortes, born in Pontevedra in 1959, is a celebrated writer and columnist who has taught Art History in Valencia for many years. She collaborates with creative writing courses at several universities and remains active in workshop settings aimed at developing new voices in literature. Among her many works are Dear Corto Maltese (New Narrator Award 1994), Bounty’s Ashes (Espasa, 1998), Sand Borders (Spring Prize finalist, 2001), Albanian Lover (Planeta Award finalist, 2003), and other titles that venture into historical and biographical storytelling. Her bibliography also includes the film diary Bye Baby (Espasa, 2002) and Laura Ulloa’s Luck (Planeta, 2006), which earned the Critics’ Award in the Community of Valencia.
Fortes rose to international prominence with the historical novel Quattrocento (Planeta, 2007) and the acclaimed Waiting for Robert Capa (Fernando Lara Novel Award 2009), which has been translated into more than fifteen languages. Her most recent works include September Can Wait (Planeta, 2017) and Just Like Us (Ezaro, 2021), showcasing a versatile voice that blends historical insight with intimate storytelling.
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