Short bio

I am 49 years old, and I am still learning every day. In 2016, I decided to leave a steady office job to share my passion for reading and writing with others. Since then, I have been coordinating reading clubs and teaching as a creative writing teacher in local public libraries in the Community of Madrid, Spain.

My story

My earliest memories of learning take me back to the brightest moments of my childhood, when I tried to decipher the signs I saw around me that made up the world of adults. I sensed that learning to read would open up that world to me, and I experienced enormous pleasure when, little by little, the world unfolded before me.

Those signs helped me to name my surroundings and to communicate with others. I remember, above all, the patient (and proud) smile of my mother, always by my side in that moment of conquering the world (my world), as I also remember my maternal grandfather, my aunt Dioni and her children, my older cousins, who encouraged me in that process. I remember feeling very supported by my family environment. At school, the person in charge of the school library guided me in my reading and never made me feel ridiculous or small for my opinions. I always had the feeling it was a conversation between readers where age did not matter. Libraries (first the one at school and then the one in my town, in Villanueva de la Cañada) became a refuge and my place in the world.

That first conquest of reading and, much later, of writing, involved effort and frustration, but the need to communicate and establish bonds with others has motivated me to overcome those initial obstacles through learning in different areas, such as the study of other languages, which has allowed me to travel, live, and work abroad teaching Spanish to university students and, more recently, resuming my university studies in Creative Writing and Literary Studies at the Complutense University of Madrid, where I am working on my doctoral thesis.

I am convinced the learning attitude of my father, who could not finish his basic education because he had to work at a very young age, has been the best example of lifelong learning. He was used to a physical job, and when he retired, he discovered his ability with colours and began to colour simple drawings with great sensitivity. A few years later, when he was widowed, he had to take care of his house by himself, clean, cook, go shopping, etc. His willingness to learn in any situation and to face new challenges (at 73 he travelled with me to Japan) and his good humour have made me understand that age does not prevent you from learning but attitude. When I came into contact as a teacher with the world of non-formal education focused on reading and writing, I became interested in the adult learning process, one aspect I am researching in my doctoral thesis.

Keeping the capacity for wonder and curiosity throughout your life allows you to relive that flash of childhood, that moment of initiation, when you discover that you still have a whole world of knowledge to conquer.

For this reason, I defend quality non-formal education, such as workshops for adults in local libraries, as they strengthen community networks and are the most favourable environment to meet neighbours, exchange moments of enjoyment, and socialise, and they help to prevent unwanted loneliness and offer intellectual and affective stimuli beyond work and at any age. Today, I enjoy working with adults of all ages who maintain that attitude of shared learning between readings and experiences.

From imagination and memory, they build bridges to others and new possible worlds.