Presentation of <i>La pequeña librería de Stefan Zweig</i>, a book by Francisco Uría

The first book written by Francisco Uría, professor at CUNEF and Senior Partner in charge of financial services at KPMG Spain, was presented on 26 October at CUNEF Affiliated Centre.

The event was hosted by Mr Manuel Pimentel, editor (@almuzaralibros), author and former Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. Professors Álvaro Cuervo and Ana I. Fernández, Rector of CUNEF Universidad and Director of CUNEF Affiliated Centre, were both present at the event, along with many prominent members of the Spanish business and banking worlds.

In the summer of 1936, the ship that carries the great writer Stefan Zweig to America stops over at the port of Vigo. With the dramatic echoes of the Civil War resounding in the atmosphere, the renowned author of The World of Yesterdayambles through the streets of the Galician city, only to discover a reality that is not too distant from the totalitarian ideologies that are forcing him to flee his beloved Europe. At one point, Zweig stops in front of the window of a small bookstore and meets its owner, Ramón, a man who, like him, is well aware of the immense value of Literature. The encounter will be the seed of a fleeting but meaningful friendship that will have a far more lasting impact than anyone could have foreseen. 

In this setting, Francisco Uría rolls out the plot of a story that manages to move the reader almost from the very first page. With a clear and suggestive style, the author immerses us in a very alluring—if somewhat nostalgic—atmosphere, in which he uses a diverse array of characters to fable about Zweig’s stroll through the “City of Olives” and tell a story in which both books and memories play an essential role.