The character who inspired ‘The English Patient‘ meets with other explorers and adventurers in a series at the Ateneo. 

Count Almásy has made a comeback, with his love for the desert, flying glasses and unquenchable desire to find the oasis of Zerzura intact. He appeared at the Ateneo de Madrid as part of a lecture program dedicated to 20th-century explorers and adventurers. He was joined by fellow explorers Leo Frobenius, John Pendlebury, and Byron Khun de Prorok. The speaker, who identifies strongly with Almásy, recounted the adventurer’s real-life exploits that inspired Michael Ondaatje’s novel «The English Patient» and the subsequent film. He also shared his personal journey of fascination with Almásy, which began with reading the novel in 1995 and continues to this day. After a lengthy talk, the speaker was reminded of his audience and ended the night walking the streets of Madrid, weighed down by a backpack full of books and a bottle of Hungarian wine, but eager to continue exploring a land without maps and relishing his rekindled passion.