Unearthed letter confirms Unamuno and H.G. Wells once went to the cinema together

A newly uncovered letter has confirmed that Spanish writer Miguel de Unamuno and British author H.G. Wells once shared a dinner and a trip to the cinema together in London, according to Euronews.

The document, written in 1936, was located in the archive of the Unamuno House-Museum (Casa-Museo Unamuno) in Salamanca, Spain. It describes the encounter between the two literary figures, confirming an episode that had not previously been documented, 90 years after it reportedly took place.

Unamuno, one of the most influential Spanish writers and philosophers of the early twentieth century, was a leading figure of the Generation of '98 and known for works blending philosophy and literature. Wells, the English author best known for pioneering science fiction works including The War of the Worlds and The Time Machine, was among the most prominent literary figures of his era internationally.

According to the letter, the two writers dined together before going on to watch a film in London, offering a rare glimpse into a personal meeting between two major literary figures of the period whose work and outlook differed significantly: Unamuno's writing was rooted in existential and philosophical concerns tied to Spain, while Wells was known for speculative fiction and social commentary with a more international, forward-looking bent.

Archivists at the Casa-Museo Unamuno have not detailed further contents of the letter beyond the account of the dinner and cinema visit. The find adds a small but notable piece to the historical record of cultural and intellectual exchanges between British and Spanish literary circles in the years before the Spanish Civil War, which began later in 1936.