For Manuel Rivas, words are the most sensitive of creatures. In the same way that frogs or glow-worms are the first to manifest signs of pollution in the natural environment, words suffer as a result of corruption in the socio-political sphere. In his work as journalist, writer of fiction, poetry or essays, he is consistent in his role as custodian of all sensitive creatures; his writings document historical damage and alert us to potential future harm to our natural, linguistic and political eco-systems. With the same level of attention that a naturalist dedicates to minute indicators of change – the briefest of absences, the apparently insignificant break of behavioural patterns in a micro-environment – Rivas observes the signs and listens to the sounds that emerge from the mouth of earth. Like all his literary publications, this collection of poems was written in Galician, and first published in 2015 by the Galician language publishing house, Xerais, as A boca da terra. It represents another contribution by Rivas to the linguistic ‘biodiversity’ of Spain that he believes should be protected by policy-makers as a precious resource, rather than regarded as a problem.

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