«Ver España no cansa»

Approaches to an industrial transformation from the National Literary Days, 1954-1967

Abstract

With the slogan «Ver España no cansa» (which could be translated as Visiting Spain is not tiring), since 1954 and for fourteen editions, writers and artists toured various regions of the country under the framework of the Jornadas Literarias Nacionales (national literature days). The approach of these outings was based on inspiring the literary and artistic production of their participants due to a deep knowledge of the country. In this context, they visited some of the industrial sites resulting from the autarkic projects of the Franco regime, becoming a testimony of the process of territorial transformation of the country. Soon those attending the journeys would go from being mere spectators and narrators of the process to become, in some cases, involved actors. Their gaze which blended a festive and casual attitude with a keen sensitivity to the environment and a deep social concern, provides a multiplicity of overlapping readings that allows to explore in-depth the complexity of this period of Spain’s recent history with significant cultural implications in the present day.