Inside the Shell of the Tortoise
Poems written in India and Nepal
A Spanish English Edition
Veronica Aranda
Translated by Claudia Routon
with Yuyutsu Sharma
ISBN 9-788182-500747 (Hard) ISBN 9-788182-500754  (Paper) 2016 pp.68

Inside the Shell of the Tortoise by Verónica Aranda is an anthology of previously published poems interspersed with new work. The collection celebrates the glory of awakening and the temptation of nostalgia—its critique too, incisive and punishing—all the while grappling with the fierce gravity of realism. The grace and delicacy of these poems are rooted in the solidity of place, mostly the soil of India, always allowing for the ephemeral transience of journey. A simply beautiful book.
–Claudia Routon, University of North Dakota

With Verónica we embark on fresh adventures, travel to the East, and unpack suitcases—postcards in fragments. In the process, we discover what we might have longed for and loved; because, in the end, Verónica’s account of her travels seems so close and intimate that her voice, stunning and compelling, turns vital.
–Elena Medel, Calle20

Vision is fragmentary and temporary; what we see and what we photograph are so easily forgotten. But what we sense and experience remain with no need for visual support; and in this case, the written word, the poem, remains. Verónica has captured it.
–AgustínCalvoGalán, Revista de letras

The verbal subject that is Verónica Aranda keeps a suitcase ready under her bed. Such is the recurring motif of evocative and commemorative itineraries. Experience returns as a transmuted sequence, securing the link between self and landscape. Time and energy flux between words; fragmented emotions, faces, and distances are expanded in lines.
–José Luis Morante, Puentes de papel

With Aranda, we discover the pleasure of solitude and contemplation.
–Ariadna G. García, Culturamas

Verónica Aranda (Madrid, 1982) is a multi-lingual award-winning Spanish poet and translator with an international presence. Not only has her own work appeared in several languages, she has also translated contemporary poetry from Portugal, Brazil, France and Nepal into Spanish. Her professional efforts extend from creative and critical journal contributions and collaboration to participation in international literary events around the world. She has degrees from the University Complutense of Madrid and the Jawaharlal Nehru University of New Delhi. She has lived in Italy, Belgium, Portugal, India and Morocco.

Her Poetry Collections include Poeta en India (Melibea, 2005), Tatuaje (Hiperión, 2005),Alfama (Centro de poesía José Hierro, 2009), Postal de olvido (El Gaviero, 2010), Cortes de luz (Rialp, 2010), Senda de sauces (Amargord, 2011), Café Hafa (Tres Fronteras, 2012), Lluvias Continuas. Ciento un haikus (Polibea, 2014), La mirada de Ulises (Corazón de mango, Colombia, 2015).

Aranda has been awarded many notable poetry prizes including Joaquín Benito de Lucas, Antonio Carvajal de Poesía Joven, José Agustín Goytisolo, Arte Joven de la Comunidad de Madrid, Margarita Hierro, Fernando Quiñones, Antonio Oliver Belmás, El Buscón, and the Adonáis accésit.

She lives in Madrid, Spain.

Claudia Routon translates contemporary poetry and fiction from Spain. Her work appears in numerous literary journals, including a book of poetry and music, La cité des dames(Capellas de Ministrers). She teaches Spanish literature and language at the University of North Dakota.