-
€17.10
Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success
GIFTS, Literature, Rare items
by John MaxwellBookclub members receive a 10% on this title:€17.10€19€17.10 Orders released Jan 5th and Jan 19th for collection the following week.€17.10 -
Sold out€70.00
Lament for the Death of a Bullsighter and other poems
GIFTS, Literature, Rare items
Federico García LorcaLondon and Toronto William Heinemann Ltd. English translation of Lament for Ignacio Sánchez Mejías 1938 Early printing "In his Lament for Ignacio Sánchez Mejías, Lorca expresses all the colour, pride and deep sorrow Spain. No other Spanish poet has drawn so heavily upon popular inspiration to such splendid ends." CONTACT US at hello@desperateliterature.com for more info or to book a visit!€70.00€70.00 -
€225.00
Casualties of Peace
GIFTS, Literature, Rare items
Edna O’BRIEN
dedicated to Geraldine ChaplinJonathan Cape, London, 1966 This particular copy is signed to Geraldine Chaplin, daughter of Charlie Chaplin, who for many years lived in Madrid! We acquired a good part of her Madrid collection last year and this is one of the treats. Acquired before Edna O'Brien's passing, we removed the post-it note with her telephone number!€225.00CONTACT US at hello@desperateliterature.com for more info or to book a visit!
€225.00 -
€1,000.00
El general en su laberinto
GIFTS, Literature, Rare items
Gabriel García Márquez
FIRMADOEdiciones del Equilibrista, México 1989 FIRMADO / SIGNED€1,000.00CONTACT US at hello@desperateliterature.com for more info or to book a visit!
€1,000.00 -
Sold out€850.00
Journal du Voleur
GIFTS, Literature, Rare items
Jean GENET
SIGNEDThe terribly hard to find first edition of Journal du Voleur, here no. 377 of 400, signed by Genet upon the request of Jean-Paul Sartre in his petition to free Genet from jail!€850.00CONTACT US at hello@desperateliterature.com for more info or to book a visit!
€850.00 -
€250.00
Jeux pour acteurs et non-acteurs
GIFTS, Literature, Rare items
Augusto Boal
SIGNEDEditions La Découverte, 1978 SIGNED. Rare indeed to find a signed Boal! Here his Jeux pour acteurs et non-acteurs - Pratique du théâtre de l'opprimé suivi de l'expérience en France, including exercises, games and techniques for actors!€250.00CONTACT US at hello@desperateliterature.com for more info or to book a visit!
€250.00 -
€20.00
Alejandro Zambra (SIGNED)
GIFTS, Hotcakes, LiteratureTo help raise funds for our imminent move, this month we're selling our signed Alejandro Zambra translations. There's the added bonus of the copies also being signed by Zambra's translator, Megan McDowell!
There's a limited amount, so get them while you can!
...and of course we'll throw in some merch for good measure... ALL EDITIONS IN ENGLISH
€20.00 -
Sold out€12.00
Bookland Passport
Literature, Rare itemsThe Bookland Passport Issued by Typewronger books in Edinburgh, this is your passport to, from, in and out of indie bookshops around the world! Get it stamped, signed, or whatever you like, wherever you find an independent bookshop! Riso printed and beautifully illustrated€12.00All about Bookland: Bookland is a country you reach through reading, through talking about books with your friends, and through hanging out in your local bookshop. Though we issue passports for Bookland, the territory it encompasses spans the entire known world, plus quite a few as yet unexplored dimensions, and also exists across the totality of the Temporal Realm. Bookland's National Motto is LIBRI SINE TERMINO, which can translate two ways, either as "Books Without Borders" or "Books Without End". All indie bookshops are unofficial Embassies of Bookland, and any can become an Official Embassy simply by issuing passports which can be supplied by emailing the mysterious Secretary to the Grand High Ambassador of Bookland. Citizens of Bookland don't need documentation to prove their status... but it sure is fun!
€12.00 -
€2.50 – €11.00
‘Eleven Stories 2024’
Eleven Stories, Literary Prize
.pdf + print editionEleven Stories 2024 collects the shortlist from our seventh short fiction prize and is available in either:
- PDF - €2.5 (which can be recouped against entry to the 2025 prize!)
- PRINT + PDF - €11 / a limited edition copy and the PDF to boot. **shipping is by Spanish postal service and doesn't carry tracking, which can be added for €15 on demand via email!
We're proud to present what is one of our most marvellous collections to date, including musings on menial labour under capitalism, longing, displacement, dementia, end-of-the-world hedonism, the joys of hope, and so much more.
Including work by: Sukie Wilson (WINNER), Amanda Hildebrandt (RUNNER-UP), Richie Jones (RUNNER-UP), JL Bogenschneider, Lizzie Challen Hubbard, Heather Colley, D.P. Strickland, Shane Tivenan, Aled Turner, Preeti Vangani, and Richard Westley
ABOUT THIS YEAR'S WINNING STORY:
'From the first paragraph, ‘Leaving Night Country’ catches us with its incredible narrative voice. Wilson has a keen sense of music and rhythm. We are left with a sense of wonder.' — MEGAN MCDOWELL, 2024 Judge
PLEASE NOTE: for orders over 5 copies, please contact us at hello@desperateliterature.com
€2.50 – €11.00 -
Sold out€20.00
LISA HANNIGAN
No Category
in Concert
June 15th
(opening act – Davy Lyons)June 15th 20h in Desperate Literature
SOLD OUT
TICKETS:
€20 - Concert + 10% discount on books + drink courtesy of Jameson Whiskey
We invite the magnificent Lisa Hannigan to play an intimate concert in Desperate Literature, with opening act Davy Lyons. Lisa Hannigan is an Irish singer and songwriter who has internationally released three studio albums on her own label one of which was nominated for UK Mercury Music prize. Over the course of her extensive career to date Lisa has appeared at festivals all over the world, and live TV appearances such as the Tonight show with Jay Leno, The Late Late show with James Corden, and The Colbert Report with Stephen Colbert, and Later with Jools Holland. Lisa has featuring tracks in TV series’ ‘Fargo’ and ‘Legion’, Lisa also sings on the Oscar winning soundtrack to ‘Gravity’. In the past few years she found her acting voice, playing Blue Diamond in Cartoon Network’s ‘Steven Universe’ and Bronagh in Cartoon Saloon’s Oscar-nominated film ‘Song of the Sea’. Outside of her own album and soundtrack releases, Lisa has contributed vocals to The National albums ‘I Am Easy to Find’ and ‘Sleep Well Beast’ and also sang on Big Red Machine’s eponymous first album.
Davy Lyons is an Irish songwriter, musician, poet, and actor. Family gatherings in his childhood, where music was always vital, are the root of his creative endeavours. In 2016, he moved to Barcelona where he began playing on the street. His live shows developed a reputation as intense, binding, and unique experiences for the audience, an intimate journey where words and melodies come together, where silences are allowed to reverberate. Sound poems written with the fountain pen of Lyons’ soul with brushstrokes of folk, jazz, and gypsy added by his band. He has released two albums, Evidence (Delirics, 2019), and The Human Factor (King Forward Records, 2023). His third one, a live album recorded in front of an audience in Underpool Studios, will be released on September 6. He played the lead role in Catalan feature length film, Solo Arrojaron, which is currently having festival screenings. https://www.instagram.com/davylyons/
Purchase receipt functions as your ticket!
SPONSORED BY:€20.00 -
Sold out€2,750.00
The Naked Lunch
Literature, Rare items
William Burrough
SIGNEDThe Olympia Press, 1959 First edition, SIGNED. This carries a stamped 18NF over the original 1500F price. France adopted the nouveau franc in 1963, so we can assume that this edition didn't sell until after this point!€2,750.00CONTACT US at hello@desperateliterature.com for more info or to book a visit!
€2,750.00 -
Sold out€500.00
Ariel
Literature, Rare items
Sylvia Plath
First EditionFirst edition, First Impression Faber and Faber, 1965 A lovely edition fit for anybody's shelf! CONTACT US at hello@desperateliterature.com for more info or to book a visit!€500.00€500.00 -
Sold out€1,200.00
Fulgor y muerte de Joaquín Murieta
Literature, Rare items
Pablo Neruda
SIGNEDFirst edition of Fulgor y muerte de Joaquín Murieta, Santiago de Chile, 1967, signed by Pablo Neruda. This copy has travelled a little, though not quite as far and as poorly as Joaquín Murieta, and so shows some soiling and with a slightly faded signature, but is a nice example of this title with Neruda's typical cursive! COMES WITH A FIRST PRESSING VINYL of Fulgor y muerte de Joaquín Murieta recorded by Sergio Ortega Here it here.€1,200.00CONTACT US at hello@desperateliterature.com for more info or to book a visit!
€1,200.00 -
€1,750.00
Pequeña Antologia
Literature, Rare items
Gabriela Mistral
SIGNEDLovely copy of this signed First Edition of Gabriela Mistral's unpublished poems. Inscribed by the author on the front free page to the Chilean poet Milo Navarro. Comes with a black and white photo from a Lunch at Escuela de Artes Graficas in Santiago de Chile. Picture at the center is Gabriela Mistral. Four from right is the Chilean poet Milo Navarro. Pages are clean with no marks or inscriptions. The Chilean poet, educator, diplomat, and feminist was the First Latin American (and, so far, the only Latin American woman) to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1945. These Anthology of unpublished poems exemplify Mitral's interest in awakening in her contemporaries love for the essences of their American identity.€1,750.00CONTACT US at hello@desperateliterature.com for more info or to book a visit!
€1,750.00 -
Sold out€0.00
Madrid will be their Tomb:
Literature
the English language launchFREE ENTRY 1st December 20h00 Limited Tickets - 30
We're thrilled to host the Madrid launch of 'Madrid will be their Tomb', the English language translation of Elizabeth Duval's first novel! ‘Modest and powerfully beautiful, this is writing which illuminates human mystery and lifts the reader into the air, leaving them on an edge where their convictions tremble and shake.’ —JUAN MANUEL DE PRADA. ABC. About the book: Two occupied buildings: one the former headquarters of the NO-DO (a Francoist propaganda outlet) that has been taken over by a small group of fascists, the other the ruins of some abandoned film studios that have been converted into the barracks of a Marxist-Leninist cell. Drifting between these two spaces are Santiago and Ramiro; two characters who, although finding solace in two polarised political groups, cross paths and change each other’s lives. Discursive and devastating, Duval’s first novel is imbued with the same traits as the era she portrays. A sad, passionate, and all too real portrait of an ever more divided world, Duval’s story, in her powerful, shocking, yet considered prose, reminds us of the uncomfortable, but somewhat comforting similarities we may find with the “enemy”. About the author: Elizabeth Duval is an author and the spokesperson for Feminism, Equality and LGTBI+ rights for Sumar. In 2020 she published Reina, the first memoir in Spain by a woman from GenZ, as well as Exception, a verse poem. In 2021 she published the essay Después de lo trans and the novel Madrid será la tumba. In 2023 she published Melancolía, a sociopolitical essay on how to recover hope when facing a grim future. She is also a regular contributor for national media outlets like eldiario.es, Público, El País, and La Sexta. About the translator: Alice Banks is a translator from Spanish and French based in Madrid. In December 2022, Alice’s translation, Deranged As I Am, by Ali Zamir, was published by Fum d’Estampa Press. When she is not translating, Alice also works as a publisher at Fum d’Estampa Press and an Editorial Assistant for The European Literature Network, where she writes the monthly column, ‘La Española’. ‘A marvellous novel.’ —NADAL SUAU, EL ESPAÑOL.€0.00 -
€25.00
Eleven Stories 2021 – 2023
Literary PrizeThe Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction is an international award for innovative new writing. The last three years of Eleven Stories contain some of the best contemporary short fiction. 2023 prize judged by: Mariana Enríquez, Ottessa Moshfegh, & Tiffany Tsao. Works by: Campbell Andersen, Jan Carson, N G F Clark, Paige Cowan-Hall, Phillippa Finkemeyer, Hadley Franklin, Jack Gain, Jay Gao, Samuel Glyn, Katie Hale, Annie Hayter, Grace Henes, Mia-Francesca Jones, Isha Karki, Stephen Lynch, Victoria Manifold, Evan Martinak, Andrea Mason, Ananya Mishra, Dipika Mukherjee, Nick Mulgrew, Connor Oswald, Nicholas Petty, Young Rader, Mariana Roa Oliva, David Ryan, Erin Scudder, Avigayl Sharp, Dizz Tate, Siri Katinka Valdez, Gavin Weale, Naomi Wood, Jona Xhepa.€25.00€25 for the 2021, 2022, & 2023 anthologies Books will be shipped once the 2023 anthology is delivered in November 2023
ABOUT THE 2023 SHORTLIST:
‘There is such energy in these stories. Such pulse!’ - TIFFANY TSAO, 2023 Judge
‘I like this prize especially because it’s so international. The voices aren’t coming from a limited cultural perspective, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but there’s a breadth of wider experiences by the writers. They’re conveying something, and I think conveying something with urgency.’ - OTTESSA MOSHFEGH, 2023 Judge
ABOUT THE 2023 WINNING STORY:
‘['Falling' is] a story I haven’t read before: a story of loss, focused not on grief but on how others make use of the depth and power of death [...] beautiful in its economy, not a word too long or short. Moving, and yet very quiet. Precise and relaxed.’ — OTTESSA MOSHFEGH, 2023 Judge
‘honest and sensual [...] carrying a slight but intense wickedness.’ — MARIANA ENRÍQUEZ, 2023 Judge
ABOUT THE 2022 SHORTLIST:
'The stories were exquisitely written and completely delightful in their power to surprise and astonish in a remarkably few number of words. Reading these stories made me feel glad for the future of short stories and excited me for reading more. I hope other readers feel the same way.' - ANTON HUR
'In these rich and vibrant stories, the language surprises and delights. From surreal mouse proposals to the catharsis of visible grief, via the uncertainty of memory and perception, each of these stories creates a new, engrossing reality, while shedding light on our own.' - NATASHA BROWN
ABOUT THE 2021 SHORTLIST:
‘I loved reading the shortlist selection which realizes the Desperate Literature team’s ambition to reimagine and diversify contemporary writing. The stories represented are inquisitive, irreverential, critical, and fully committed to their respective creative projects. I’ve never been more hopeful for the future of fiction, and the Desperate Literature Prize plays no small part in this.’ — Isabel Waidner, 2021 Judge
€25.00 -
€2.50 – €11.00
‘Eleven Stories 2023’
GIFTS, Literary Prize
.pdf + printEleven Stories 2023 collects the shortlist from our sixth short fiction prize and is available in either:
PDF - €2.5 (which can be recouped against entry to the 2024 prize!) PRINT + PDF - €11 / a limited edition copy, numbered and stamped by our fine selves (OUT NOW) and the PDF to boot. **shipping is by Spanish postal service and doesn't carry tracking, which can be added for €15 on demand via email!
ABOUT THIS YEAR'S SHORTLIST:
‘There is such energy in these stories. Such pulse!’ - TIFFANY TSAO, 2023 Judge
‘I like this prize especially because it’s so international. The voices aren’t coming from a limited cultural perspective, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but there’s a breadth of wider experiences by the writers. They’re conveying something, and I think conveying something with urgency.’ - OTTESSA MOSHFEGH, 2023 Judge
ABOUT THIS YEAR'S WINNING STORY:
‘['Falling' is] a story I haven’t read before: a story of loss, focused not on grief but on how others make use of the depth and power of death [...] beautiful in its economy, not a word too long or short. Moving, and yet very quiet. Precise and relaxed.’ — OTTESSA MOSHFEGH, 2023 Judge
‘honest and sensual [...] carrying a slight but intense wickedness.’ — MARIANA ENRÍQUEZ, 2023 Judge
The stories were exquisitely written and completely delightful in their power to surprise and astonish in a remarkably few number of words. Reading these stories made me feel glad for the future of short stories and excited me for reading more. I hope other readers feel the same way - ANTON HUR
In these rich and vibrant stories, the language surprises and delights. From surreal mouse proposals to the catharsis of visible grief, via the uncertainty of memory and perception, each of these stories creates a new, engrossing reality, while shedding light on our own. - NATASHA BROWN
Here's what the magnificent Rachel Cusk and Niven Govinden have to say about our 2020 selection:
‘I thoroughly enjoyed reading these submissions, which surprised me with their honest poise, their integrity, and their understated adherence to the values of literature. In the hands of some of these writers, the story form was brought to bear on the modern scene in new and astute ways.’ – Rachel Cusk ‘I was bowled over by the power, inquiry, and humour of these stories. They shine brightly in the mind after reading.’ – Niven GovindenPLEASE NOTE: for orders over 5 copies, please contact us at hello@desperateliterature.com
€2.50 – €11.00 -
Sold out€3.00
‘Alejandro Zambra & Megan McDowell’
Events
Entradas | €3El 4 de June Entradas Limitadas | Limited Tickets - 40
Precio: 3€ - reembolsado con cualquier libro de Zambra (+ tote incluida, por supuesto) €3 - reimbursed with any Zambra book (+ free tote, of course)*EVENT IN ENGLISH y ESPAÑOL
We invite Alejandro Zambra and his translator Megan McDowell to sign at our Feria booth before a bilingual reading at Desperate Literature! Invitamos a Alejandro Zambra y a su traductora Megan McDowell a firmar en nuestra caseta de la Feria antes de una lectura bilingüe en Desperate Literature.€3.00 -
The DL BOX set
GIFTSThe perfect gift for bibliophiles, the travelling lover, the Madrid-based progeny, or just your future self.
You'll get a copy of Eleven Stories 2023, our notebook and a tote. We can either prepare in store or send for you and if you want to add a gift certificate, you can! Free shipping for all orders that include a gift certificate!
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”
Jorge Luis Borges
-
€2.50 – €11.00
‘Eleven Stories 2022’
Literary PrizeEleven Stories 2022 collects the shortlist from our fourth short fiction prize and is available in either:
PDF - €2.50 PRINT - €11 / a limited edition copy, numbered and stamped by our fine selves
The shortlisted stories were exquisitely written and completely delightful in their power to surprise and astonish in a remarkably few number of words. Reading these stories made me feel glad for the future of short stories and excited me for reading more. I hope other readers feel the same way - ANTON HUR
In these rich and vibrant stories, the language surprises and delights. From surreal mouse proposals to the catharsis of visible grief, via the uncertainty of memory and perception, each of these stories creates a new, engrossing reality, while shedding light on our own. - NATASHA BROWN
Here's what the magnificent Rachel Cusk and Niven Govinden have to say about our 2020 selection:
‘I thoroughly enjoyed reading these submissions, which surprised me with their honest poise, their integrity, and their understated adherence to the values of literature. In the hands of some of these writers, the story form was brought to bear on the modern scene in new and astute ways.’ – Rachel Cusk ‘I was bowled over by the power, inquiry, and humour of these stories. They shine brightly in the mind after reading.’ – Niven Govinden€2.50 – €11.00 -
€8.00€8.00
-
Sold out€1.00
‘Another Valentine’
No Category
Entradas | TicketsEl 18 de Febrero Entradas Limitadas | Limited Tickets - 25
€1 con billete para el sorteo | €1 with raffle ticket*
Invitamos a Martha Sprackland, Kwaku Osei-Afrifa, Joe Dunthorne y Rodrigo García Marina para una lectura de San Valentín extramundana | We invite Martha Sprackland, Kwaku Osei-Afrifa, Joe Dunthorne and Rodrigo García Marina for an other-worldly Valentine's reading
EVENT IN ENGLISH y ESPAÑOLmascarilla obligatoria | mask obligatory *THE RAFFLE: Win feedback on three poems or a single short story (English ONLY)
Saber más:Joe Dunthorne was born and brought up in Swansea. His debut novel, Submarine, was translated into twenty languages and made into an award-winning film. His second novel, Wild Abandon, won the Society of Authors’ Encore Award. His latest is The Adulterants. His first collection of poems, O Positive, was published by Faber & Faber in 2019. He lives in London. Rodrigo García Marina estudió el Conservatorio Profesional de Viola, el Grado en Medicina y en Filosofía. Acaba de realizar el Máster en Teoría y Crítica de la Cultura. Ha publicado La caricia de las amapolas, Premio de Poesía Saulo Torón 2017, Aureus, I Premio de Poesía Irreconciliables, Edad, I Premio de Poesía Tino Barriuso, El libro de los arquitectos, II Premio de Poesía de la Facultad de Filología de la UNED, y Desear la casa. Investiga, edita y enseña. Kwaku Osei-Afrifa is a nonbinary writer and editor living in east London. A novella is coming out in June this year with Solaris, and they will start writing part two when the time is right. Martha Sprackland is the founder of Offord Road Books and poetry editor for CHEERIO Publishing. Her debut collection, Citadel, was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection and the Costa Poetry Prize.€1.00 -
Sold out€0.00 – €24.55
‘SPANISH BEAUTY’
No Category
EntradasEl 23 de Febrero Entradas Limitadas - 20*
Gratuita | con un descuento de 5% en compras anticipadas
Invitamos a Esther García Llovet a presentar su nueva obra, Spanish Beauty (Anagrama), en conversación con Lucía Lijtmaer, autora de Ofendiditos (Anagrama).
*mascarilla obligatoria Saber más sobre Spanish Beauty: «Su estilo es de cuchilla de afeitar» (Laura Fernández) «Excelente narradora... Brillante» (Alberto Olmos) «Nos gusta mucho García Llovet, y nos gusta su estilo, su poética... Autora de culto» (Sara Mesa) «Una exquisita rara avis... Esta autora cuestiona cada código, cada imagen, cada palabra... Estupenda» (Marta Sanz) Si en sus novelas de la Trilogía instantánea de Madrid (Cómo dejar de escribir, Sánchez y Gordo de feria) Esther García Llovet construyó una ciudad nocturna, marginal y casi surreal, en esta Spanish Beauty, la primera entrega de la Trilogía de los países del Este, nos ofrece un Benidorm plagado de mafiosos ingleses, rusos millonarios, billares cutres de sótano y rascacielos a medio construir: una ciudad en la que manda Michela, la policía corrupta que necesita a toda costa recuperar un mechero que perteneció a los legendarios Kray Twins del Londres de los sesenta.€0.00 – €24.55 -
€2.50 – €11.00
‘Eleven Stories 2021’
Literary PrizeEleven Stories 2021 collects the shortlist from our fourth short fiction prize and is available in either:
PDF - €2.50 PRINT - €11 / a limited edition copy, numbered and stamped by our fine selves // OUT NOW
‘I loved reading the shortlist selection which realizes the Desperate Literature team’s ambition to reimagine and diversify contemporary writing. The stories represented are inquisitive, irreverential, critical, and fully committed to their respective creative projects. I’ve never been more hopeful for the future of fiction, and the Desperate Literature Prize plays no small part in this.’ — Isabel Waidner, 2021 Judge
Here's what the magnificent Rachel Cusk and Niven Govinden have to say about our 2020 selection:
‘I thoroughly enjoyed reading these submissions, which surprised me with their honest poise, their integrity, and their understated adherence to the values of literature. In the hands of some of these writers, the story form was brought to bear on the modern scene in new and astute ways.’ – Rachel Cusk ‘I was bowled over by the power, inquiry, and humour of these stories. They shine brightly in the mind after reading.’ – Niven Govinden€2.50 – €11.00