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I'm Not Here to Give a Speech
I'm Not Here to Give a Speech
Apr 3, 2026 3:36 PM

Author:Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I'm Not Here to Give a Speech

Penguin presents I'm Not Here to Give a Speech, the complete speeches of Nobel laureate and beloved novelist Gabriel García Márquez collected and published in English for the first time.

Gabriel García Márquez has charmed generations of readers with his distinctive and richly expressive style. His talent for language is seen here as never before, in the public speeches he gave throughout his extraordinary life. These speeches chart Márquez's growth as a writer and orator, from an early talk given as a teenager graduating high school to his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize. They offer new insight into the workings of the author's mind, drawing a portrait of Marquez as a writer and as a man.

This is a rare gem from a writer who touched readers across the globe. I Am Not Here to Give a Speech is a must-buy for anyone who ever fell in love with Macondo or cherished a battered copy of Love in the Time of Cholera.

Praise for Gabriel García Márquez:

'The greatest novel in any language of the last fifty years' Salman Rushdie on One Hundred Years of Solitude

'Should be required reading for the entire human race' New York Times on One Hundred Years of Solitude

'A masterpiece' Evening Standard on Chronicle of a Death Foretold

'As a reading experience it is completely magical' Observer on Living to Tell the Tale

'It asks to be read more than twice, and the rewards are dazzling' Observer on The Autumn of the Patriarch

'Márquez writes in this lyrical, magical language that no-one else can do' Salman Rusdhie on Collected Stories

Reviews

'Radiates a familiar humorous charm and robust sensuality'

—— Irish Times

This volume should fit nicely inside a Christmas stocking, perhaps belonging to a young writer

—— The Independent

I'm Not Here... proves the Colombian to be as poetic and polemical in speaking as he was in writing

—— ArtReview

One of this century's most evocative writers

—— Anne Tyler

Marquez writes in this lyrical, magical language that no-one else can do

—— Salman Rushdie

An exquisite writer, wise, compassionate and extremely funny

—— Sunday Telegraph

So authentic you'll swear a kid wrote the book

—— Glamour

Funny, touching, honest, and uplifting - though there's plenty of opportunity for tears, too

—— Daily Mail

Rich and memorable

—— New York Times

Tremendously uplifting and a novel of all-too-rare power . . . an unforgettable, deeply moving character

—— Sunday Express

[A] beautiful, funny and sometimes sob-making story of quiet transformation

—— The Wall Street Journal

[A] glorious exploration of the nature of friendship, tenacity, fear, and most importantly, kindness

—— The Huffington Post

D[estined to go the way of Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and then some . . . It is dark, funny, touching

—— The Times

An amazing book . . . I cried my eyes out

—— Tom Fletcher

What a gem of a story . . . This book made me laugh, made me angry, made me cry

—— Malorie Blackman

Thoughtful but never preach

—— Sophie Kinsella

Wonder is essentially . . . a wonder. [It] touches the heart in the most life-affirming, unexpected ways

—— Nicholas Sparks

Every page is honest, brave and delightful

—— Laura Dockrill

A powerful read

—— Stylist

A funny, emotional, brilliantly observed story

—— Bella Magazine

It's one of those rare books with almost universal appeal: it will make you laugh, cry and break your heart

—— The Bookseller

Simultaneously fabulous and tragic, Swan Song is an incredibly accomplished debut

—— Attitude

Our generation’s The Secret History

—— Pendora

Triumphant debut…remarkable

—— Woman & Home

A vivid debut … based on ten years of research, this is a dazzling read that’s been worth the wait

—— Image Magazine

Stunning... It’s probably one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever owned

—— Bookish Chat Blog

Hypnotically fascinating

—— The Arts Desk

The book is dripping with atmosphere and character and is such a pleasure to read.

—— And Then I Read A Book blog

Pure pleasure

—— Evening Standard Magazine

She deftly gives us an insight into their inner lives... while creating defined personalities that resonate and intrigue. Lyrical and fascinating, the fact that this is Greenberg-Jephcott's debut is astounding.

—— Emerald Street

A stunning debut novel that seamlessly blends history, fact and fiction in this imaginative re-telling of the life of novelist Truman Capote

—— Woman's Weekly

A brilliant first novel

—— Rose Tremain , Daily Mail

A slick debut pulled off with brio, Swan Song is glamorous, vivid and sometimes even daring in its intelligence

—— Irish Times

A dazzling read

—— Image magazine

Greenberg-Jephcott’s debut is fizzing with energy and ideas…The novel has style and substance in spades.

—— Observer

With a grounding in history, it is a fascinating read about the deepest secrets of an iconic author.

—— Hello!

Intoxicating

—— Prima

Swan Song is utterly divine.It swept me up and I just couldn't put it down ... it is the writing in this debut novel that astounds most of all. It is vivid, addictive and whips up a terrific portrait of a deeply contradictory and complex man, contrasting scenes from his unorthodox childhood with those from the gilded bubble he ended up in that he lanced through his own actions.

—— Victoria Sadler

A sumptuous look at the icons of Manhattan's high society scene in the mid-20th century ... An immersive readthat will have you questioning real histories versus the ones we create for ourselves.

—— History Extra

He offers the reader a masterful study of a mind devoted to fairness… The Children Act is also a fascinating, painstakingly researched look inside the judicial process… Conveyed in crisp prose, this attention to detail elevates the moral conundrums…beyond the sensationalism lesser authors might have pursued. It is, in all respects, a novel that is carefully judged.

—— Irish Examiner

It explores the tension between cool-headed secularism and ardent belief. It is at times preposterous – and yet it has a magical readability and is slender enough to read in one intense, absorbing sitting.

—— Jason Cowley , New Statesman

In typical McEwan style, The Children Act is unputdownable and hauntingly beautiful.

—— Sushmita Bose , Khaleej Times

The Children Act is a…sophisticated exploration of how society treats children and how children’s welfare can be considered in the complex world in which we live, where issues about how children should be raised are not subject to consensus.

—— Carol Storer , Legal Action

If you have any unanswered letters on your desk, McEwan’s latest will have you grabbing your pen pronto.

—— Independent

The Children Act shows McEwan as a master of fiction who strives to teach us how to live.

—— Olivia Cole , GQ Magazine UK

Powerful and moving.

—— Sir David Bell , Times Higher Education

Taut, sparing and effortless, this is another exquisitely wrought novel from the master of the novella.

—— Good Book Guide

A subtly musical arrangement of urgently topical issues…it may be read at a sitting, but resonates for much longer.

—— Lewis Jones , Spectator

It’s absorbing and, almost a novella, it doesn’t outstay its welcome.

—— Nick Bevan , Times Higher Education

Definitely one of the best books I have read this year.

—— Natalie K. Watson , Church Times

This is a wonderful read with sharp, crystalline prose and, together with a superb moral dilemma, this is a beautiful and moving story.

—— Bath Chronicle

Offering a window into a compelling world of life or death dilemmas, this is told in prose as polished as you’d expect.

—— Daily Mail

The book is bursting of beautiful writing. You’ll want to read it all over again.

—— Kirsty Brimelow , The Times

A story of human behavior told in a raw, uncluttered, unforgiving way.

—— Cambridge News

Renowned author McEwan manages to surprise throughout this book, right to the last page.

—— Mayfair Magazine

A story of human behavior told in a raw, uncluttered, unforgiving way – and we could all have done with another couple of hundred pages.

—— Cambridge Magazine

McEwan writes in taut, sparing and effortless prose.

—— Good Book Guide

Ian McEwan writes stories of exquisite precision and clarity. This one is ace.

—— William Leith , Evening Standard

A page-turning novel

—— John Koski , Mail on Sunday

As one has come to expect, McEwan sets up the moral issues with delicacy and precision.

—— John Sutherland , The Times

Ian McEwan is at his most compelling with the story of Fiona Maye… Awesome

—— Marcus Field , Independent

A wonderfully readable and thought-provoking book

—— Kathryn Atkins , Bristol Magazine

A short novel that will linger in your mind for a long time

—— Woman’s Weekly

Another beautifully written masterpiece

—— Beyond

relevant, emotive, moving, this is beautifully written and a guaranteed page turner

—— Matthew Smith , H Edition

One of our best authors at his best.

—— Murray Neil , Hertfordshire Life

One of my favourite authors… McEwan’s fascination with judicial issues, with music and poetry, and with the moral conundrum of how far you place your religious beliefs above the life of someone you love, all feature in this book which will leave you thinking long after you have finished it.

—— Frances Colville , Frost Magazine

It's an enjoyable and often surprising novella.

—— Charlotte Heathcote , Daily Express

It asks fundamental questions in a sober, intelligent way about the choices we make and our blindness when it comes to our beliefs.

—— Francois Ozon, film-maker , Observer

Here he is again: vulnerable, insightful, passionate and utterly in control. He’s amazing.

—— Robert Webb , Mail on Sunday
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