Spanish author lambasts linguistic academy over social media influence

Arturo Pérez-Reverte says ‘an illiterate pundit, YouTuber or influencer’ has more impact than a literary prize winner

One of Spain’s best-known novelists has launched a withering attack on the country’s leading linguistic authority, saying it ignores the opinions of writers when it comes to changes in language, and that its “anything goes Taliban” yields instead to social media, commentators and influencers.

Arturo Pérez-Reverte used a column in Monday’s El Mundo to accuse the Spanish Royal Academy (RAE) – of which he is a member – of failing to live up to the mission laid out in its celebrated motto of “cleaning, fixing and giving shine” to the Spanish language.