09 November 2011

Kingdom of Redonda




The Spanish writer Javier Marías is one of the claimants to Redonda Island. His ascension to the throne of Reino de Redonda ("Kingdom of Redonda") as Rey Xavier I was told in one of his novels. He created a publishing imprint with the name Reino de Redonda and also an annual literary prize, Premio Reino de Redonda.

Since 1999, Marías bestowed titles to several of his peers. Spanish and foreign artists, film directors, and writers had been granted Redondan titles of Duke or Duchess.


The recipients of Redondan titles are:

Pedro Almodóvar, Duke of Trémula (1999)
John Ashbery, Duke of Convexo (1999)
Pierre Bourdieu, Duke of Desarraigo (1999)
William Boyd, Duke of Brazzaville (1999)
A. S. Byatt, Duchess of Morpho Eugenia (1999)
Guillermo Cabrera Infante, Duke of Tigres (1999)
Francis Ford Coppola, Duke of Megalópolis (1999)
Agustin Díaz Yanes, Duke of Michelín (1999)
Roger Dobson, Duke of Bridaespuela (1999)
Francis Haskell, Duke of Sommariva (1999)
Eduardo Mendoza, Duke of Isla Larga (1999)
Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Duke of Corso (1999)
Francisco Rico, Duke of Parezzo (1999)
Sir Peter Russell, Duke of Plazatoro (1999)
Fernando Savater, Duke of Caronte (1999)
Luis Antonio de Villena, Duke of Malmundo (1999)
Juan Villoro, Duke of Nochevieja (1999)
Ian Michael, Duke of Bernal (2000)
W. G. Sebald, Duke of Vértigo (2000)
António Lobo Antunes, Duke of Cocodrilos (2001)
Frank O. Gehry, Duke of Nervión (2001)
Pietro Citati, Duke of Remonstranza (2002)
Michael Braudeau, Duke of Miranda (2004)
Antony Beevor, Duke of Stalingrado (2006)
Pere Gimferrer, Duke of Arder (2006)
Ian Robertson, Duke of Impertinentes (2006)
Mario Vargas Llosa, Duke of Miraflores (2008)
Orhan Pamuk, Duke of Colores (2009)


* * *


Winners of the Redonda literary prize, established 2001:

(They are voted by the current dukes and duchesses and awarded cash and Redondan duchy.)

2001 J. M. Coetzee, Duke of Deshonra
2002 Sir John H. Elliott, Duke of Simancas
2003 Claudio Magris, Duke of Segunda Mano
2004 Eric Rohmer, Duke of Olalla
2005 Alice Munro, Duchess of Ontario
2006 Ray Bradbury, Duke of Diente de León
2007 George Steiner, Duke of Girona
2008 Umberto Eco, Duke of la Isla del Día de Antes
2009 Marc Fumaroli, Duke of Houyhnhnms
2010 Milan Kundera, Duke of Amarcord
2011 Ian McEwan, now Duke of Perros Negros


Sources:
http://www.javiermarias.es/REDONDIANA/DuquesdeRedonda.html
http://www.javiermarias.es/2007/07/xavier-i-de-redonda-10-aos-de-reinado_06.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Redonda

2 comments:

  1. I have just been reading this link while researching All Souls - I looked up John Gawsworth who was the second 'King of Redonda' and who passed the title on to Marias, apparently. He is a character in All Souls.
    (http://www.javiermarias.es/REDONDIANA/JohnGawsworth.html)
    It really shows Marias' playfulness, doesn't it?

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  2. Oh yes. Imagine reigning over a literary kingdom, which happens to be real! He is capitalizing much on it.

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