Seville is marking the centenary of ‘Mediodía. Revista de Sevilla’, whose first issue appeared in June 1926. The Biblioteca de Andalucía is commemorating the anniversary with a facsimile edition of the magazine’s first 16 issues. Curated by Eva Díaz Pérez, the initiative brings a impressive record of Seville’s interwar literary culture back into public view and highlights the city’s contribution to the wider Generation of ’27. The magazine grew out of a circle of young writers that included Juan Núñez de Herrera and Joaquín Romero Murube, as well as Rafael Laffón and Juan Sierra.
‘Mediodía’ gave literary experimentation a local platform at a time when Spain’s cultural life often centred on Madrid. Its launch came before the Generation of ’27’s most prominent public gathering: a tribute to Luis de Góngora in Seville on 16 December 1927, marking the third centenary of the poet’s death. Historical accounts describe it as the first occasion when the group appeared together in person. The magazine belonged to the cultural network that helped make Seville a meeting point for the movement, alongside regional publications such as ‘Litoral’ in Málaga and ‘Gallo’ in Granada.
Eduardo Llosent directed ‘Mediodía’, with Rafael Porlán as secretary. Alejandro Collantes handled administration, while Joaquín Romero Murube was chief editor. Although planned as a monthly, the magazine appeared irregularly, publishing three issues in 1927 and five in 1928. Its contributors included Pedro Salinas and José Bergamín, as well as Fernando Villalón and Salvador Dalí. Emilio Prados also contributed, along with Federico García Lorca, whose ‘Romance con lagunas’ appeared in issue seven. Vicente Aleixandre published in the magazine too; his poem “Cabeza” appeared beside a drawing by Pruna. The pages also carried experimental work, including Ernesto Giménez Caballero’s “fichas textuales” in 1928.
Juan Sierra later recalled his connection to the publication, saying he took part from Seville and published articles in ‘Mediodía’. The magazine reached beyond its editorial circle and gave emerging and established writers a working literary venue. It was more than a retrospective symbol of the Generation of ’27.
Though ‘Mediodía’ covered literature, music and painting, it published only three women authors. Carmen Conde and Ernestina de Champourcin were among them; Maruja Mallo was the third. The final issue of its first period, number 14, appeared in February 1929, featuring a poem by Aleixandre and works by Francisco Ayala and Ramón Gaya. After a hiatus, the magazine returned in 1933 with a new design at the same price, one peseta. This second phase included contributions from Jorge Guillén and Gerardo Diego, alongside Adriano del Valle and Antonio Machado. It also published a handwritten poem by Juan Ramón Jiménez. A final issue appeared in 1939, amid a transformed political climate.
The centenary celebrations are set to culminate in an exhibition at Seville’s Fábrica de Artillería, scheduled to open in February 2027. Organizers plan to foreground Andalusian creators and the collaborative culture around the Generation of ’27, while also drawing attention to women’s presence in literary circles. Other contemporary magazines featured Josefina de la Torre and Concha Méndez. María Zambrano was among the writers and artists featured in those publications too.
Interest in Spain’s literary heritage continues to intersect with other cultural commemorations, including the Sitges Film Festival’s recent focus on Spanish classics and restored works. The festival’s program included a tribute to ‘Carrie’ and Spanish cinema, covered in detail in a recent report on major cultural anniversaries. Such events point to continued public interest in Spain’s artistic legacy and the innovators of the early 20th century.
The Generation of ’27 soon faced upheaval. The Spanish Civil War, followed by the deaths and exile of many members, scattered the circle and ended a period of extraordinary creativity. The facsimile and planned exhibition recall a brief but consequential chapter in Spanish culture, when Seville’s writers and institutions helped shape a literary movement with national reach.
The Generation of ’27 refers to poets and artists who emerged in Spain in the late 1920s, blending literary tradition with avant-garde experimentation. Their influence reached beyond literature and into painting. Music was another field they shaped. A century after ‘Mediodía’ first appeared, the facsimile offers a way to revisit one of the local platforms that connected Seville’s cultural scene with the broader movement.
