El Don de la Pobreza or The Gift of Poverty is Pedro Flores' gift to all the romantics who find poetry in everyday life, no matter how harsh the conditions may be. His portraits of his grandparents, parents, friends and experiences show how no matter how hard the blows life deals you, there is poetry to be found although not always immediately, and how creativity and new perspectives on the ordinary can soften the edges of bitter experiences. Translating Pedro Flores is a unique and rewarding experience. His constant probing into new ways of expressing human experience has led him to read vast realms of different works, the lessons of which he skilfully interweaves into his separate poetic gems, each shining in its own right, producing deep emotions we can all relate to and that may even change how we view things: what poetry is designed to do. It is a gift for a translator, and a gift now for the British public. Margaret Hart Robertson