Tertulia de Literatura y Cine: Spanish literary and film circle at the University of York

Posted on 19 May 2020

Social events in Spanish Language bring together students and members of the local community.

‘Tertulia de Literatura y Cine’ is a monthly event organised and run by María Muradás-Taylor, Lecturer in Spanish, Dept. Language and Linguistic Science.

Initially created in 2015 as a platform mainly for students in the LLS BA in Spanish, the success of Tertulia over the years has brought together university students and members of the local community. The event is the combined result of Maria’s passion for Hispanic literature, history and politics, and her willingness to improve the student experience by providing a social space where language students can meet and practice their Spanish in an informal way.

Since its creation, Tertulia has seen a wide range of participants, spanning across UG students from the LLS BA in Spanish, students of Spanish from the University of York’s Languages for All programme, and local Sixth-Form students preparing for their A-level in Spanish. Because of the variety of topics and its social aspect, Tertulia is also regularly attended by advanced or near-native speakers of Spanish from the University of York (academics, support staff, PG students), as well as members of the local community (MFL teachers and those who have lived in a Spanish speaking country for a number of years).

"Quiero dar las gracias a todos los participantes por el entusiasmo y las ganas con las que participan todos los meses. Con vuestro entusiasmo, habéis hecho de esta tertulia un evento gratificante, que me llena de satisfacción. Muchísimas gracias." - María Muradás-Taylor, Dept. Language and Linguistic Science, University of York

In Tertulia, participants take part in a guided discussion in Spanish about social, historical and political aspects of the Spanish speaking world through literature and films. Each event starts off with a reading session (short stories or poetry) or the viewing of a film in Spanish language. It then comes to a close with a tutor-led audience interaction aimed to stimulate a discussion on the historical, political and social realities linked to the stories.

An example of films or literary works featured in recent ‘Tertulia de Literatura y Cine’ events:

‘Chufa’, Alejandra Costamagna
‘Retrato de familia‘ Liliana Colanzi
‘Llamada telefónica’ Roberto Bolaños
‘Qué vergüenza’ Paulina Flores
‘Amor de madre’ Almudena Grandes
‘Pelo malo’ directed by Maríana Rondón (2013)
‘La otra familia’ directed by Gustavo Loza (2011)

In response to the Covid-19 outbreak, the format of the event has now been modified and starting from the 28th of May 2020 it will take place in a virtual setting.

For additional information and to join the event

Contact details: maria.muradas-taylor@york.ac.uk

What some of the participants have to say about Tertulia:

"I really enjoyed participating in the Tertulia; it gave us all a great opportunity to read pieces from a variety of authors, and provided a space to share ideas and develop our ability to talk critically about writing. Maria created a friendly and welcoming atmosphere where people of all ages could come together, get to know each other, and share their love of language." - Harriet Mullis, UG Spanish and Linguistics 2017-2021

"It allows us to get some use out of Spanish outside of University work which can be hard while living in the UK. It lets us enjoy learning and understanding something without the pressure of assessment/grades like with actual University module work. You meet other language learners from other walks of life. You can get a taste of literature without the stress of grading. It allows you to take that step. There is no risk." - Connor Kiernan, UG Spanish and Italian 2016-2020

"The tertulia is a unique opportunity to explore a piece of literature in depth. The material varies greatly and always throws up intriguing conversation, enhanced by the broad range of age and backgrounds of the participants." - Luisa Zuppardi-Smith, Alumni UG Spanish and French 2015-2019

"I enjoyed the lively discussions of different topics and the opportunity to discuss in small groups first, before having a group discussion with everyone. It was also great to meet people of different ages who are interested in speaking Spanish." - Romi Simoes, Alumni UG Spanish and German 2014-2018

"The monthly tertulia is a very democratic reading club: a mix of people of different ages and stages in life, different professions, different levels of Spanish, and we are all there to make sense of the challenging and always original stories that Maria selects. In Tertulia, my students and I are all equals, which probably makes them feel awkward just like it does me, but it's a very good experience for everyone of breaking down barriers and hierarchies! The atmosphere is laid-back and non-judgmental, and people's insights are interesting. It's a very special and valuable institution." - Dr. Tamar Keren-Portnoy, Senior Lecturer, LLS, University of York

"Maria's Tertulia has been a wonderful success for me, and a great illustration of what lifelong education should be about. It has helped me to get back into reading Spanish and Latin American literature, and reviving my Spanish. The mix of actual university students and members of the community is great, and Maria's ability to inspire the group is evident. The Tertulia is one of the highlights of my month." - Dr Bill Soden, Lecturer, Department of Education

Tertulia de Literatura y Cine 2019-2020 poster (PDF , 80kb)