Felipe Maíllo Salgado facts for kids

Felipe Maíllo Salgado (born in 1944) is a Spanish professor, historian, and novelist from Monforte de la Sierra, Salamanca. A philologist is someone who studies the history of languages. He is an expert in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the famous University of Salamanca.

In 2010, the university gave him the María de Maeztu award for his excellent research.

Life and Education

Felipe Maíllo Salgado has lived in many different countries since he was a teenager. He has called France, the United States, countries in Central America, and Singapore his home. For many years, he worked as a merchant seaman, traveling the world on ships.

He returned to Spain and decided to go to college. He earned degrees from the University of Salamanca in 1978 and the University of Granada in 1979. He then studied the Arabic language and Islamic law at Cairo University in Egypt from 1983 to 1986.

Career as a Professor and Writer

As a professor, Maíllo Salgado teaches at the University of Salamanca and the National University of Tres de Febrero in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His research focuses on three main areas:

• Studying language to understand history better.
• Translating old historical books from Classical Arabic into Spanish.
• Researching Islamic law.

He began writing fiction, or story-based books, in 1990. He has published five novels.

Published Works

Professor Maíllo Salgado has written and translated many important books about history, language, and law.

History and Language Books

He has written many books for experts and students. These books explore topics like the history of Islam, the connection between the Arabic and Spanish languages, and the history of Spain when it was known as al-Andalus.

Some of his well-known books include:

• Vocabulario de Historia Árabe e Islámica (Vocabulary of Arabic and Islamic History)
• ¿Por qué desapareció al-Andalus? (Why did Al-Andalus Disappear?)
• Diccionario de Derecho Islámico (Dictionary of Islamic Law)
• Las mujeres del Profeta (The Wives of the Prophet)

Translations

He has also translated important historical texts from Arabic into Spanish so more people can read them. One famous translation is the travel journal, or rihla, of Ibn Yubayr, an explorer who traveled through the East in the 12th century. He also translated chronicles about the fall of the Cordoba Caliphate.

Fiction Novels

When writing stories, Maíllo Salgado has said he wants them to be entertaining. He said, “what I try to do is to tell a story that hooks you up, not to bore you.”

The Trilogy of the Uprooted

This is a set of three novels that are not connected by plot, but share a common theme of feeling uprooted, or not belonging anywhere.

• Inciertas derrotas (Uncertain Defeats): This adventure story is about a man's journey. He travels to different places while also thinking about his memories and his life.
• El impasible mutismo de los dioses (The Impassive Silence of the Gods): This is a story about characters who have had hard lives. They are looking for a place to belong and someone to connect with.
• Fabuloso olvido (Fabled Oblivion): This novel is about a man who helps an elderly woman. The book explores big life topics like love, loneliness, old age, and death.

Other Novels

• Las Mañanas de la Salamandra (The Mornings of the Salamander): This book tells the story of a Spanish family over more than 100 years. It shows how the country and people's lives changed from the end of the 19th century to the 21st century.
• Suite de Otoño (Autumn Suite): This is the story of a middle-aged sailor. He reflects on his life and feels like he is fighting against his own destiny.

See also

In Spanish: Felipe Maíllo Salgado para niños