For Manuel Rivas, words are the most sensitive of creatures. In the same way that frogs or glow-worms are the first to manifest signs of pollution in the natural environment, words suffer as a result of corruption in the socio-political sphere. In his work as journalist, writer of fiction, poetry or essays, he is consistent in his role as custodian of all sensitive creatures; his writings document historical damage and alert us to potential future harm to our natural, linguistic and political eco-systems. "Rivas is, without doubt, the most important figure (and the best known) in contemporary Galician literature [...]. His fictions bear the tone of an oral tale." -Alberto Manguel "Manuel Rivas is an important storyteller because he is sensitive and has an incredible ear, which, in his fiction, is allied to great integrity." -John Berger "Rivas is an indisputable classic" -The Scotsman "An author who knows how to introduce poetry, not only in his phrasing, but also in his way of seeing the world." - Raphaelle Rerolle, Le Monde

Many readers outside Spain do not know that the acclaimed novelist, Manuel Rivas, is a significant poet in his homeland, writing in his native Galician. This volume redresses the balance, offering a bilingual edition of his 2009 collection A desaparicion da neve, which, in an unusal move, was published in four national languages under one set of covers-Galician, Castilian, Catalan and Basque.