Alumni event
Alumni Meetings in Madrid and Barcelona
- Date
- Tuesday 20 October 2026 - Wednesday 21 October 2026
- Location
- See below
It is with pleasure that we invite all Leiden alumni living and/or working in Spain to two special alumni events in Spain in October 2026. Together, the University of Amsterdam, Utrecht University and Leiden University invite you for an alumni meeting in Madrid on 20 October, and in Barcelona on 21 October. The evening will feature a talk by author Miquel Bulnes, followed by a Q&A and drinks.
Miquel Bulnes writes novels about Spanish history. Bulnes, who is half Dutch and half Spanish, made his breakthrough in 2011 with The Blood in our Veins (Het bloed in onze aderen), which was shortlisted for the Libris Prize. Set in Spain in the 1920s, this historical novel combines elements of war, thriller, and espionage into a single narrative. This novel was followed in 2018 by Reconquista, about Spain in the 11th century. In January his next book The Turmoils (De beroerten) will be published, about the beginning of the Eighty Years’ War.
Miquel Bulnes will speak about his writing process and methods. He lives partly in Madrid and partly in the Netherlands and will also share personal experiences of living and working across two cultures. Bulnes studied Medicine at Utrecht University and works as a medical microbiologist at the University Medical Center Utrecht.
The talk will be followed by a Q&A and informal reception with drinks and appetisers. Registration is required, please sign up before 18 October via one of the links below.
Madrid
| Date | Tuesday 20 October |
| Location | Madrid, Residence of H.E. Roel Nieuwenkamp, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Programme | 18:00 — Doors open 18:30 — Welcome on behalf of the universities 18:40 — Lecture 19:10 — Q&A and closing remarks 19:20 — Drinks & snacks 20:30 — End of programme |
| Registration | To the registration form (no registration fee) |
The gathering will take place at the Residence of the Ambassador. We are most grateful for the assistance and support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and for their hospitality. If you register, you will receive more detailed information in October.
Barcelona
| Date | Wednesday 21 October |
| Location | Mercè Rodoreda Auditorium, Ciutadella Campus Carrer de Ramon Trias Fargas, 25 Sant Martí, 08005 Barcelona |
| Programme | 19:30 — Doors open 20:05 — Welcome on behalf of the universities 20:10 — Lecture 20:40 — Q&A and closing remarks 21:00 — Drinks & snacks 22:00 — End of programme |
| Registration | To the registration form (no registration fee) |
About our speaker
Miquel Bulnes (1976) is a writer and medical microbiologist. He studied medicine in Utrecht and works as a medical microbiologist at the University Medical Center Utrecht. He is chair of the Dutch Working Party on Antibiotic Policy. He successfully combines a career in science with writing historic novels. Bulnes also regularly writes columns and opinion pieces for the media.
In 2003, he made his literary debut with the novel Zorg (Care), which was warmly received by both critics and readers. The translation rights were immediately sold to Germany. Two more books followed, both set in hospitals and laboratories: Lab (2005) and Attaque! (2007).
In 2011, The Blood in our Veins (Het bloed in onze aderen) was published, marking a new direction in Bulnes’s work. This novel was nominated for the 2012 Libris Prize. In 2018, Reconquista followed, exploring the clashes between Christianity and Islam in eleventh-century Spain. In January 2027, his third major historical novel, The Turmoils (De beroerten), will be published. The novel is set in the Low Countries shortly before the Eighty Years’ War.
Miquel Bulnes has a Spanish mother and Dutch father. He lives partly in Madrid and partly in the Netherlands.
If you have any questions, please contact the Leiden University Alumni Office at info@alumni.leidenuniv.nl or +31 71 527 4050.