Past events

Selected conferences, lectures, film screenings, exhibitions, and workshops 2017-2022.

The Cunninghame Graham Lecture

The Cunninghame Graham Lecture was established in 1996 in honour of Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham - aka ‘Don Roberto’ (London, 1852-Buenos Aires, 1936) - politician, estanciero, and writer, who travelled extensively in Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay and Uruguay and had very strong ties to Argentina.

Delivered annually, it is jointly organised by LLC and the Office of Cultural and Scientific Affairs of the Embassy of Spain with the aim of promoting Spanish language and culture in Scotland.

Past speakers have included scholars, film makers, politicians, journalists, novelists, and figures bridging the Hispanic world and Scotland, such as the architect Enric Miralles (1955-2000) who designed the Scottish Parliament building.

The Cunninghame Graham Lecture 2022 - Poli Marichal

Date: 22 November 2022

Venue: Online

Speaker: Poli Marichal

Chairs: Dr Jessica Gordon-Burroughs (Lecturer in Latin American Studies and Visual Culture, University of Edinburgh) and Dr Ignacio Cartagena Núñez (Consul General of Spain in Edinburgh)

Title: La Síntesis Rota – experimentos en el ojo de la tormenta (Broken Synthesis – Experiments in the Eye of the Storm)

In brief: The Cunninghame Graham Lecture 2022 was delivered by Puerto Rican filmmaker-artist Poli Marichal and focused on Marichal's Super 8 work from the 1980s and present digital experimentations.

Find out more about the speaker and her topic
Watch or listen to the 2022 lecture on MediaHopper

Date: 10 November 2021

Venue: Online

Speaker: Laura Restrepo

Chair: Charlotte Gleghorn

Title: Cuando la investigación se vuelve ficción y viceversa (When research becomes fiction and viceversa)

Photo of Laura Restrepo
Watch or listen to a recording of the lecture on MediaHopper

Date: 26 November 2020

Venue: Online

Speaker Lucía Asué Mbomío Rubio

Chairs: Jessica Gordon Burrounds and Iona Macintyre

Title: Racismos cotidianos: desde lo circunstancial a lo sistémico

Cunninghame Graham Lecture 2020 banner
Watch the full lecture on MediaHopper

Date: 10 October 2019

Venue: Old College, University of Edinburgh, as part of the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival 2019

Speaker: David Trueba

Chair: Dr Jose Saval

Title: Music, Cinema & Literature


Date: 31 October 2017

Venue: Appleton Tower, University of Edinburgh

Speaker: Carlos Zanón

Title: Nuevos Horizontes en la Novela Negra del Siglo XXI


Other lectures and talks

Date: 25 August 2023

Venue: Baillie Gifford West Court

As part of: Edinburgh International Book Festival

In brief: A discussion between Hirondina Joshua, Lucía Asué Mbomío Rubio and Leïla Slimani on experiences across the continent of Africa.

French and Portuguese MA Honours student Hanno Jewell appeared at this event to interpret for Hirondina Joshua, and has translated an excerpt of her work which was read at the event. The event was chaired by human rights lawyer and Edinburgh University rector Debora Kayembe.

Date: 24 August 2023

Venue: The Hub

As part of: Edinburgh International Festival

In brief: A discussion as part of the International Festival by director Declan Donnellan and designer Nick Ormerod, co-founders of the international theatre company Cheek by Jowl who attended the EIF to present Pedro Calderón la Barca’s 'Life is a Dream'.  The event was chaired by Beth Blakemore, PhD candidate in Hispanic Studies.

Date: 28 July 2023

Venue: 50 George Square

Panelists: Jorge Egusquiza (Cuban filmmaker), Gretel Alfonso (Cuban artist and Guillén Landrián’s widow), Dean Luis Reyes (Cuban critic and curator), Dr Nikolaus Perneczky (Queen Mary University of London), and Dr Jessica Gordon-Burroughs (University of Edinburgh)

Organiser: Jessica Gordon-Borroughs (University of Edinburgh)

In brief: A free, in-person discussion and panel on the legacy of Afro-Cuban film director Nicolás Guillén Landrián (1938-2003); and for a panel discussion on the restoration project, the filmmaker’s legacy, and the broader challenges of Afro-diasporic archives.

This event marked the 20th anniversary of the death of Afro-Cuban filmmaker Nicolás Guillén Landrián (1938-2003). It was followed by a screening at the Glasgow Film Theatre on 29 July 2023 of the two restored films, 'Inside Downtown' and 'The End is not the End'.

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