Launch Event for the Spanish Edition of Songs from My Heart
Spanish edition of Songs from My Heart
On November 6, 2024, a launch event was held for the Spanish edition of a collection of Daisaku Ikeda’s poetry, Songs from My Heart, at the Spanish Cultural Center in Rivas-Vaciamadrid. The event was conducted both in person and online.
The Spanish edition of Songs from My Heart, featuring poems by Mr. Ikeda along with seasonal photographs and inspirational quotes, was first published in 2014. In June 2024, the Soka Gakkai of Spain’s affiliated publisher, Ediciones CivilizaciónGlobal, released a reprint, culminating in the November launch.
Dr. Peña (2nd from right) speaking at the launch event
At the event, Enrique Caputo, vice chair of SGI-Europe and general director of the Soka Gakkai of Spain, expressed gratitude to everyone involved in the publication. Renowned poet María García Zambrano, also a journalist and educator, delivered the opening remarks, followed by a talk on the poetry book by J. Francisco Peña, Professor Emeritus of the University of Alcalá. Dr. Peña, who wrote the foreword to the book’s first edition, also contributed a new complementary foreword—reflecting on Mr. Ikeda’s passing.
Dr. Peña described Mr. Ikeda’s poetry as a ballad of hope, capable of elevating the humble to the eternal. He expressed his hope that many people in Spain would be inspired by Mr. Ikeda’s words, gaining vitality and hope to move forward in their lives.
[Adapted from an article in the November 28, 2024, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, Soka Gakkai, Japan, and an article on the Civilización Global website.]
