By ACN
'The encyclopedia of illustrious Canarians', published by the Center for Popular Canarian Culture (CCPC) together with other public and private institutions of the Archipelago, is the new volume of the Great Library of the Canary Islands, which aims to fill a fundamental bibliographic gap through a work that collects the life and work of 37 of the most relevant figures in the history of the Islands, all with a comprehensive and rigorous vision of these "exceptional figures".
The selection was presented this Tuesday in an informative act by the head of the Publications department of the CCPC, Óliver Quintero, and the general coordinator of the work, Remedios Sosa. She pointed out that the protagonists of the encyclopedia have stood out throughout history for their ability to transmit values to later generations, as well as for their charisma and their contribution to the evolution and identity of the Canary Islands.
Sosa explained that selecting less than forty people from among the thousands of Canarians who have carried out exceptional works has been a difficult task, so they opted to conduct a survey of about three hundred people, representative of the intellectual sectors and the general public. However, she specified that many characters who should appear in the work have been left out, so the authors plan to make subsequent editions to expand the content and also develop an 'encyclopedia of famous Canarian women', since only two women appear in this publication -Valentina la de Sabinosa and Pinito del Oro- "due to the historical secondary role they have played".
On this occasion, 10,000 copies have been published at "reasonable" prices, according to Remedios Sosa, with the aim that the work can reach all Canarian homes as a "fundamental encyclopedia". Likewise, the texts have been complemented with a careful selection of about 600 images, "which results in one of the most complete photographic albums that have been published about the Islands".
CRITERIA AND CONTENT
Óliver Quintero indicated that for the elaboration of the volume, a chronological criterion has been established, starting the journey in the 16th century to conclude in the present. Likewise, an attempt has been made to have a balance between the Islands, "which did not pose much of a problem because in each of them there are characters who deserve to be", while trying to cover as many social areas as possible, such as art, literature, music, politics, history, science or research, among others.
The selected characters have been José de Anchieta, Cairasco de Figueroa, Hermano Pedro, José Viera y Clavijo, Tomás de Iriarte, José Luján Pérez, Agustín de Betancourt, Sabino Berthelot, Agustín Millares Torres, Gregorio Chil y Naranjo, Miguel Villalba Hervás, Benito Pérez Galdós, Teobaldo Power, Manuel Velásquez, Secundino Delgado, José Franchy y Roca, Luis Rodríguez Figueroa, Blas Cabrera Felipe, Tomás Morales, Alonso Quesada, Néstor de la Torre, Valentina la de Sabinosa, Juan Negrín, José Miguel Pérez, Domingo Pérez Minik, Pedro García Cabrera, Óscar Domínguez, Antonio González, César Manrique, Manolo Millares, Alfredo Graus, Pinito del Oro, Fernando Días Cutillas, Juan Barbuzano, 'The Millares saga', 'Artisans of Canarian cinema' and 'Los Sabandeños'.
