Book Showcase: Memorias del Exilio: Los Niños Vascos del 37 (in person)

Memorias del Exilio: Los Niños Vascos del 37 is a graphic novel written by Begoña Garrido with images by Oskar Gorroño. It emerged from the fieldwork conducted by Begoña Garrido as part of her doctoral thesis at the University of Reading. While the thesis centred on female narratives, the more than thirty interviews carried out also included recurring testimonies about the mass evacuation of Basque children in 1937. These accounts, which fell outside the thesis’s academic scope, later gave rise to a public-facing project that brings these stories to life through an emotional and accessible visual format. This graphic narrative seeks to build bridges between generations and to reflect on the ongoing impact of forced displacement, both past and present.

This book has received much media attention in Spain since its publication in late 2024, including in the national press (El País). This event is the first English-language showcase with the author, and includes an exhibition at the University of Reading library of some of the research materials underpinning the making of the book.

About the speaker

Begoña Garrido holds a PhD in Spanish Cultural Studies from the University of Reading, where she was awarded an Anniversary Scholarship (2017) to conduct research on the daily lives of working-class Basque women under Franco in the 1940s. Her current work focuses on historical memory and intergenerational trauma, particularly the exile of the Basque ‘children of 1937’. She is committed to making academic research accessible through public engagement, using formats such as graphic novels, talks, and exhibitions to reach wider audiences.