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Presentation of “Trece Kilómetros” by Taha Balafrej
September 24, 20267:00 p.m.
CÓRDOBA
Casa Árabe Headquarters (c/ Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9).
7:00 p.m.
Free admission until the venue reaches capacity.
In Spanish.
Casa Árabe will host the presentation of “Trece Kilómetros” by Moroccan writer Taha Balafrej at its Córdoba headquarters during an event taking place on Thursday, September 24. The author will be joined by Adoración Elvira Rodríguez, translator of the Spanish edition of the book.
In “Trece Kilómetros,” Balafrej takes readers on a journey through the Iberian Peninsula, following in the footsteps of the Al-Andalus legacy. The author traveled by road through various towns in Spain and Portugal, where he encountered people and places that allowed him to develop a unique perspective on history, memory, and the relationships between the two shores of the Mediterranean.
The work, structured as a novel, brings together various characters encountered along this journey: Lola, the keeper of the keys to an ancient mosque; Ramón, the owner of a bar located across from a Muslim cemetery; Francisco, the mayor of a town where an ancient Quran was found; Marcos, a Portuguese archaeologist working on excavations at a Muslim archaeological site; Juana, a book vendor standing next to an ancient gate from the Muslim era; and the only Moroccan registered as a resident in Mértola, an immigrant from Errachidia.
Through these characters, the author explores different landscapes, memories, and vestiges of the Muslim presence on the Iberian Peninsula, while reflecting on the relationships between societies on both sides of the Mediterranean. With the 2030 World Cup on the horizon—to be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco—the book explores the possibility of greater sociocultural convergence among the three countries.
The Spanish edition of “Trece Kilómetros” was translated by Adoración Elvira Rodríguez and features a foreword by Teresa Ribera Rodríguez.
Taha Balafrej is a Moroccan mathematician and writer who has pursued his professional career in various fields. In 2014, he founded the Connect Institute in Agadir, an institution he currently directs.
He is the author of “Héritages” (Legacies), originally published in French in 2021 and subsequently translated into Arabic and English.
Adoración Elvira Rodríguez
Adoración Elvira Rodríguez is a professor and literary translator. She has extensive experience in translating from French to Spanish and has worked on translating works by Francophone writers, among others. Her work as a literary translator has also been the subject of academic studies.
In “Trece Kilómetros,” she is responsible for the Spanish translation of Taha Balafrej’s work and will participate alongside the author in the book’s presentation at Casa Árabe in Córdoba.
The work, structured as a novel, brings together various characters encountered along this journey: Lola, the keeper of the keys to an ancient mosque; Ramón, the owner of a bar located across from a Muslim cemetery; Francisco, the mayor of a town where an ancient Quran was found; Marcos, a Portuguese archaeologist working on excavations at a Muslim archaeological site; Juana, a book vendor standing next to an ancient gate from the Muslim era; and the only Moroccan registered as a resident in Mértola, an immigrant from Errachidia.
Through these characters, the author explores different landscapes, memories, and vestiges of the Muslim presence on the Iberian Peninsula, while reflecting on the relationships between societies on both sides of the Mediterranean. With the 2030 World Cup on the horizon—to be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco—the book explores the possibility of greater sociocultural convergence among the three countries.
The Spanish edition of “Trece Kilómetros” was translated by Adoración Elvira Rodríguez and features a foreword by Teresa Ribera Rodríguez.
Taha Balafrej is a Moroccan mathematician and writer who has pursued his professional career in various fields. In 2014, he founded the Connect Institute in Agadir, an institution he currently directs.
He is the author of “Héritages” (Legacies), originally published in French in 2021 and subsequently translated into Arabic and English.
Adoración Elvira Rodríguez
Adoración Elvira Rodríguez is a professor and literary translator. She has extensive experience in translating from French to Spanish and has worked on translating works by Francophone writers, among others. Her work as a literary translator has also been the subject of academic studies.
In “Trece Kilómetros,” she is responsible for the Spanish translation of Taha Balafrej’s work and will participate alongside the author in the book’s presentation at Casa Árabe in Córdoba.
