From that living room of 6, Jardín Botánico, you could observe the citiy’s bell towers, the gothic flying buttresses, the towers and a certain nostalgia of Byzantine domes and oriental onions. In the background, the solemn vessel of the cathedral, with its dense figurehead, rebuilt after the earthquake of 1882.  Some palm trees stood out among roofs - bunches of orange light bulbs, their dates - and the tops of the trees of La Rambla, like a mighty river of vegetation: gleams of green among the gray, white and old gold of the buildings.

En la ciudad sumergida (In the submerged city), 2010

Translated by Carlota Oliva.

(Palma, 1956). José Carlos Llop Carratalá writes poetry, novels and essays. He is especially well-known for his diaries, which have been a recurrent theme throughout his literary career. Especially noteworthy among his prolific literary career are the novels La ciudad invisible (1991) (The invisible city), El Japón en Los Ángeles (1999) (Japan in Los Angeles), Diarios (2000) (Diaries), La escafandra (2006) (The diving suit), Paris suite: 1940 (2007), En la ciudad sumergida (2010) (In the submerged city), as well as his latest book Reyes de Alejandría (2016) (Kings of Alexandria). He is a critic and newspaper columnist and collaborates with Diario de Mallorca and has also translated several books. Some of his works have been translated into French and in 2008 he was the recipient of the Prix Écureuil de Littérature Étrangère.