'The world's greatest and youngest expert on Cervantes, according to himself.' This is how Javier Marías described Professor Del Diestro, the name behind which hid the Spanish literature professor Francisco Rico, who died this Saturday at the age of 81.

Marías and Rico coincided at Oxford, where the novelist was professor of Spanish literature. Marías would use his experience at the English university to write 'Todas las almas', the first novel in which the professor would become a character.

Time and time again, he continuously insisted, as Marías himself said on more than one occasion, to appear with his own name in his friend's novels. And he succeeded. Professor Rico is described in 'Tu rostro mañana' and in the following novels as an egomaniac, vain and somewhat arrogant being. Far from being uncomfortable, Rico was proud to be a character of Marías, to whom he was quick to ask, as soon as he knew he was working on a new novel, if he would feature in it.

Go to the article here