- 6 July 2021
Readers of Europe 2021 - Czech recommendation
Readers of Europe - recommendation by the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU
Book selected: Letters from Spain by Karel Čapek
In this travel book Czech author Karel Čapek describes the people and landscape of Spain through the eyes of a foreigner. Based on his travels through the country in the early 1930s, this is a collection of sketches in pictures and words.
A collection of impressions that offers a window into Spain in the early 1930s, four years before the start of the Spanish Civil War, told from the perspective of a Czech intellectual. But this is not a travel guide. Čapek does not recommend which towns to visit, or hotels to stay in. He is an observant wanderer whose text sucks you in, transporting you to the streets of Seville.
A masterful writer, equally adept at fiction and non-fiction, he paints vivid pictures of the landscape, villages, his relationships with the people he meets. You'll experience flamenco and bullfighting for the first time and be overwhelmed by the beauty of locals. This is a physical, emotional, and spiritual journey told with humour and tenderness. The result is warm, lyrical textures for readers to sink into.
In a review of this book in 1932, the New York Times described it as the "most utterly charming book of travel to be offered this season".
Čapek has written four other travel guides. For those looking to unearth other Czech literary gems, discover more via Eureka, the online catalogue of the Council libraries.
About the Readers of Europe campaign - Travel across Europe through literature
Through the long months of winter, in the darkest depths of the pandemic, the thought of travelling again was a guiding light for many sailing towards uncertain shores.
Although people were confined to their homes, many made epic voyages in uncharted lands with the aid of an old friend – a book. For many, books were an invaluable means to help deal with the psycho-social strain of being confined to their homes. Reading has helped people in Europe and around the world to cope with isolation during lengthy lockdowns, and to deal with the uncertainty about the future.
Summer 2021 has a more hopeful feel than last year. The hope is that the ever increasing vaccination rates and the EU Digital COVID Certificate will facilitate the safe and free movement of citizens in the EU.
Even so, situations can change quickly during pandemics. Some people may prefer to have staycations in their country of residence. But whether you are travelling at home or abroad, the Council Library has found a ‘low-cost’ way to enable everyone to visit other European countries.
This summer the Council Library will whisk you away across the continent, moving not only across the member states, but in and out of time as well.
We have once again invited staff from the member states’ permanent representations to the EU to make recommendations for books to read over the summer, for this second edition of our Readers of Europe campaign. This year’s theme is ‘Travel across Europe through literature’.
The literary pit stops on this tour will shine a light on some of Europe’s hidden charms, visiting places that are both eerily familiar and profoundly new. The works selected cover a broad range of genres, from the contemporary to the classic. Stories that penetrate deeply and consume entirely. Stories with strange beauty, nostalgia, mystery and love. Stories that showcase the vast wealth of European literature.
The itinerary is set. No passport is needed to go on this trip. The only carry-ons permitted are books and bookmarks (and maybe a cup of tea).
Join us as we travel across Europe through literature, as we once again encounter the Readers of Europe.
For more information about the EU Digital CVOID certificate, please see the
This post does not necessarily represent the positions, policies, or opinions of the Council of the European Union or the European Council.
The Council Library reading room is currently closed. The Info Desk remains open online and will reply to queries by email from Monday to Friday, 10.00 to 16.00.