Peruvian Ambassador donates significant works to ANU

05 Dec 2016

“Scholars will find these publications enormously valuable in providing rich first hand knowledge,” said University Librarian Roxanne Missingham. “We are very grateful to Mr Palomino De La Gala for donating these wonderful works to the library”.

Over 400 years ago the first work by Garcilaso de la Vega, known as El Inca or Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, was published. He was the first author born in the Americas to enter the western literary tradition.

Born of an Incan Princess and a Spanish conquistador, Garcilaso de la Vega’s insights into Incan life, politics and religion reflected his rich personal experience and extraordinary life of tragedy and triumph.

The Ambassador of Peru, Mr Miguel Palomino De La Gala, presented the Australian National University Library with a magnificent three volume set of the complete works of de la Vega.

“Scholars will find these publications enormously valuable in providing rich first hand knowledge,” said University Librarian Roxanne Missingham. “We are very grateful to Mr Palomino De La Gala for donating these wonderful works to the library”.

Professor Catherine Travis, Chair of Modern European Languages and Head, School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics welcomed the donation. “The study of a language must  go hand in hand with the study of the history, culture and society of the communities who speak it. The rich resource contained in these works is thus a wonderful contribution to the ANU, with its strong Spanish program. Our students study Inca Garcilaso de la Vega in a course on the history of the Spanish language, and this will give them the opportunity to explore his works further.”

The books are in old Spanish and will be available in the Chifley Library to all readers.