BOOKS OF THE WORLD | Mafalda, We Need You !

Hi there. Welcome to this podcast, from the Canary Islands to the world.

This is a literary journey without borders. Each episode we explore a work, an author or a literary movement from different corners of the planet. Because books are also passports, and each story brings us closer to different cultures, languages and realities.

Mafalda is this spunky 6-year-old girl who, despite her age, has an understanding of the world that most adults could only dream of. She's frustrated by the injustices around her—especially the ones concerning social inequality, peace, and, you know, world domination by incompetent adults.

And honestly, if we think about it, Mafalda was ahead of her time. Her sense of humor was sharp, but it was always tied to making serious points about inequality, peace, and human rights.

And that's something that resonates today. I mean, we've got so many issues happening right now—like the environmental crisis, global inequality, and political corruption. Mafalda would've had a lot to say about all this, don’t you think?

Imagine her now—scrolling through Twitter, reading the news, hearing about the latest climate report… I bet she'd be having a field day. But at the same time, she’d be raising some serious questions. Like, how did we get to this point? And, more importantly—why are we still letting this happen?

And I think that's what we need. We need voices like hers—young, fresh, bold, and willing to ask those uncomfortable questions. Take the climate crisis, for instance. You could totally picture Mafalda saying, “Why are we still debating whether or not to save the planet? It’s not a political issue—it’s a survival issue.”

Finally, in my opinion, one of the most compelling things about Mafalda is that she never sugarcoated things. If something was messed up, she’d call it out. It wasn’t about being nice or diplomatic—it was about being honest. Imagine if our leaders took a little page out of her book.

And that concludes  today's episode, see you in the next one!

If you have any comments or suggestions for future episodes, feel free to drop me a comment.

Patricia López Muñoz

Higher Technician in Sociocultural Dynamisation

Specialist Technician in Immigration

Higher Technician in Social Integration