Albert Alcaraz and Malagón relate and illustrate the stories and places of Benidorm

Portray and explain Benidorm in just under 150 pages, compile its stories and key places, remember its most iconic and particular characters, and recover the most memorable anecdotes and experiences. That's 'El encanto de  Babel. De las geografías e historias de Benidorm', a work written by Albert Alcaraz and illustrated by the graphic humorist José Rubio Malagón that was presented yesterday in the Assembly Hall of the City Council.

A presentation in which, in addition to the authors, the mayor, Toni Pérez; the manager of Visit Benidorm, Leire Bilbao; and Professor Paco Amillo, who prefaces the work; was attended by nearly a hundred people, including the Councilor for Culture, Jaime Jesús Pérez, and members of the Corporation.

The mayor highlighted yesterday that along 42 short chapters the book captures "the soul" of the "tourist destination" that is Benidorm; and he affirmed that the work signed by Alcaraz and Malagón "is going to serve us to make pedagogy of the city, to tell our stories and geographies and make them available to people, so that they understand and love them".

Toni Pérez emphasized the documentation work, both with written and oral sources, carried out by the authors to "compose a story" that is dynamic, relaxed and humorous. A work, he pointed out, that arrives in the year that marks the centenary of the birth of the architect of modern Benidorm, Pedro Zaragoza Orts, whose image made a vignette serves as the cover for 'The charm of Babel'.

For his part, Albert Alcaraz assured that this book has been "a great challenge" because "Benidorm gives rise to many stories" that have been told with "a lot of tact, respect and responsibility", and to reflect that "Babel of tolerance and understanding” that constitutes Benidorm.

Alcaraz explained that when gathering information it has been "lucky" to have the "large number of publications that have been made about Benidorm", and that they have not only allowed us to delve into the past of the city but also "capture the character of its people" and thereby "connect the town with the cosmopolitan city".

Malagón, responsible for the vignettes that accompany, complement and illustrate each one of the chapters, explained that at the time of making up 'The charm of Babel' he has "fled from clichés" to stay "with a story that will surprise".

'El encanto de Babel. De las geografías e historias de Benidorm' has the collaboration of the Department of Culture and Visit Benidorm, which will donate copies to the libraries of all schools in the city.