Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) is today celebrated as Spain’s greatest writer, his reputation similar to that of Shakespeare in the English-speaking world. However, the success of his masterpiece, Don Quijote de la Mancha, published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, was by no means assured when he wrote it. This talk explores Cervantes’s novel within the context of its difficult genesis, explaining the literary and other pressures its author faced as he sought the ingredients and invented the recipe for a narrative work that became instantly popular and has also stood the test of time.

Jonathan Thacker is King Alfonso XIII Professor of Spanish Studies at the University of Oxford. He is the author of several books and many articles and chapters devoted to the literature and theatre of the Spanish Golden Age. He is a published translator and advisor on theatrical productions, including the RSC’s Golden Age season.