Víctor Salgado, a retired Iberia flight attendant, collaborates with Envera, the Association of Iberia Employees and Parents of People with Disabilities, a non-profit organisation with transparency accredited by the Fundación Lealtad (Loyalty Foundation).
This year, his book ¡Feliz Navidrid! is part of Envera's Christmas card. Do you want to know his story?
My name is Víctor Salgado and it was my kids who taught me to enjoy writing. As we shared their first sweets we also shared my first stories and illustrations. Time will tell whether I’m for their future dental problems, and and whether my stories succeeded in teaching them them to take life with a smile.
My interest in illustration springs from my passion for posters. In 1989 I began graphic design and art direction studies. Since then a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, and coloured pencils have given way to the computer keyboards which I now use to design, to draw, and to write my children’s stories. I feel like I’m on a boat which I sometimes control, and which sometimes threatens to capsize, but I enjoy every moment under the power of the literary breeze!
In my 35 years as an Iberia cabin attendant and purser I became acquainted with many great cities which are now dear to me, but –and please don’t frown when you hear this– there’s nothing like the warmth of the people of Madrid, the history lurking in the alleys of the old quarter, and the future of prosperity that is presaged by the city’s broad new avenues.
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The creation of ¡FELIZ NAVIDRID! was the logical outcome of my years writing Christmas tales for my family and friends. The book is a collection of seven of those stories, which take place in very different scenarios, including Madrid’s Puerta de Alcalá gate and the city subway.
It’s not original of me to observe that, regardless of beliefs, Christmas is a time for reflection. Christianity has had an impact on the entire world, and in this season it’s not only Christians who reflect on good and evil, on love and forgiveness, and on generosity and hope. Likewise, one needn’t be a native to love a city like Madrid, with all its defects and shortcomings, but with few rivals for its supremely generous spirit.
Because of my work in the skies, I’ve spent many Christmases far from home and family. But I can assure you that neither the bright lights and elegance of London, the throbbing crowds of New York, nor the overflowing joyfulness of São Paulo, have ever kept me from shedding a tear of nostalgia for my home city and my loved ones.
Special mention is due to the Christmases spent aboard Iberia aircraft. The initial sadness gripping the passengers and crew who are obliged to fly that day is soon transformed into a sense of fraternity bordering on intimacy –that’s the magic of Christmas!
I would like to thank the Iberia charitable organisation ENVERA fior choosing my book ¡FELIZ NAVIDRID! To help promote its 2022 solidarity calendar. I enjoin you to to collaborate with ENVERA to help extend the Christmas spirit throughout the whole year, contributing to the integration and the happiness of some of the neediest people.
To end these remarks, here’s a very heartfelt ¡FELIZ NAVIDRID!
P.S. To learn more about my work please visit www.golosinasliterarias.es
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