In The News

The Average Bureaucrat by Salvador Dalí.

8/2003 - Writer and columnist Francisco Umbral is recovering from colon surgery and post-operative complications in a Madrid hospital.  Umbral, a recipient of the prestigious Cervantes award, is considered one of the best contemporary short story authors in Spain.

8/2003 - After five centuries of anonymity the famous classic "Lazarillo de Tormes" may have an author.  Rosa Navarro Duran, a Professor at the University of Barcelona, has offered plausible conclusions that attribute authorship of the book to Alfonso de Valdes, a member of the Court of King Charles V, and a follower of Erasmus of Rotterdam.  The theories are so conclusive that some Spanish publishers have already begun to include Valdes as the author.  The book, which is mandatory reading in Spanish schools and universities, offers a stinging portrayal of the Catholic Church and its excesses during the Inquisition.  Its author would have been tortured and, most likely, burnt at the stake had his identity been revealed at the time.

5/2003:    Spanish editor Jose Manuel Lara, the founder of the Planeta Group, died on 5/11 at the age of 88.  Lara founded the Planeta publishing company in 1949 and has been one of the greatest promoters of literature in the Spanish speaking world.  He was also the creator of the prestigious Planeta and Azorin literary awards.

5/2003:    Correspondence and other memorabilia written by Camilo José Cela was published in a weekly edition of the magazine El Cultural.  The article includes correspondence written by Cela to various members of the Generation of 27 and offer insight into the lives of those that endured the Spanish civil war either in exile or at home.  Most of the correspondence was with Alberti, Cernuda, Aleixandre, Prados, Damaso Alonso, Gerardo Diego and Jorge Guillen.  In some of the letters they discussed the need to recover verses written by Miguel Hernandez.  In another letter Cernuda thanks Cela for his assistance in having his book published by Carlos Barral.

5/2003:    A biography, some memorabilia, and literary critiques are part of an extensive monographic work dedicated by the Cervantes Virtual Center to Rafael Alberti.  This work profiles the poet and his work from his beginnings at the College student residence, through his exile, and to his eventual return to Spain.   It also includes an intimate cartography of the poet, of the cities he loved, and beautiful poems and paintings.

4/2003:    A panel consisting of 19 literary critics met in Madrid to select the winners of the 2002 Critics awards bestowed on authors of Spain's four official languages.  The winners for works in Castilian Spanish were Enrique Vila-Matas for his novel "El Mal de Montano" and Vicente Gallego for his poem "Santa Deriva".  The winners for works in the Basque language were Lizarralde for his novel "Larrepetit"  and Kruz Igerabide for his poem "Mailu Isila".  The winners for works in the Catalonian language were Ferran Torrent for his novel "Societat Limitada" and Marius Sampere for his poem "Les Inminencies".  The winners for works in the Galician language were Carlos Casares for his novel "Sol do Veran" and Xavier Seoane for his poem "Darsena do Ocaso".

4/2003:    Ramón Moix Messeguer, best known by the pseudonym Terenci Moix, died today in his native Barcelona a victim of respiratory problems produced by tobacco.  Moix was the author of several best sellers including "No digas que fue un sueño", "El dia en que murio Marilyn", and "El arpista ciego".  Moix received the José Maria Lara literary award in March.

2/2003:    The University of New York (CUNY) paid an homage to Miguel Delibes at its post-graduate center during ceremonies associated with the ongoing International Congress. An analysis of his novels (including his most recent work, The Heretic), his contributions to contemporary literature, and the influence he has exerted on contemporary Spanish authors were studied during an exchange of Literature professors from CUNY and the University of Valladolid, Spain.

1/2003:    Arturo Pérez-Reverte was elected to the Spanish Royal Academy of Literature on the first vote.  He will occupy seat #7, vacated by the death of Manuel Alvar Lopez.

12/2002:    December 16th marked the beginning of the "Year of Alberti" festivities.  The Dukes of Palma de Mallorca plan to initiate the festivities at the house where Rafael Alberti was born in Puerto de Santamaria, Cadiz, which is being converted into a cultural center.  Expositions, dissertations and concerts will be held throughout the year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Alberti's birth.

11/2002:    Poet, journalist and author Joan Perucho (Barcelona 1920) won the 2002 National Award for Literature, which is bestowed annually by the Department of Education and Culture. The award, which includes a 30,000 euro prize, was given for the full complement of his works. His works have been translated into 10 languages and normally involve fantastic characters and mythology. One of his most popular books is “Les histories naturals” which unfolds during the first Carlist war; however, its protagonist is not one of the contenders in that war but a vampire that terrorized the population.

11/2002:    Spanish author Benjamin Prado won the 2002 “Village of Madrid, Jose Ortega y Gasset” award for essay and humanities for his book “Los Nombres de Antigona”.  Author Jose Avello, born in Asturias, won the same award in the narratives category for his new book “Billiard Players”.  The award includes a cash prize of 12,000 euros.

6/2002:    Carlos Salazar won the 2001 Premio Joven de Narrativa offered by the University of Madrid for his book " La Lluvia Entre tus Dedos."  Carlos was born in Miranda del Ebro in 1969.  His book focuses on the life and vicissitudes of a young soldier during the Spanish Civil War and WWII.  The award selection panel praised the precise and beautiful form used by the author to describe life and circumstances that transpired before his birth, while at the same time offering a new perspective on these tragic events.

6/2002:    Antonio Muñoz Molina receives the Pluma de Plata del Club de la Escritura award at the Hotel Ritz in Madrid.  The award was presented by Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon, president of the Community of Madrid who along with the Secretary of Culture and others highlighted the author's accomplishments in the difficult topic of describing the plight of those who are not free and lack a sense of citizenship.

6/2002:    Julian Marias is selected from a group of 26 finalists to receive the Menendez Pelayo award.  Marias, a well known essayist and academic was born in Valladolid, Spain, in 1914 and was a student of Ortega y Gasset at the University of Madrid.  Marias maintained a long professional and personal relationship with Ortega y Gasset.

5/28/2002:    Jose Antonio Muñoz Rojas receives the XI Reina Sofia Award in the city of Salamanca.  The award is typically presented at the Royal palace in Madrid, but an exception was made this year as Salamanca was designated Cultural Capital of Europe for 2002.  The award includes a cash prize of $32,500.  Rojas, now 92 years old and a member of the Generation of '27, won the award for his poem Objetos Perdidos.  Jury members included Jose Samarango, the Portuguese Nobel prize winner and Chilean poet Nicanor Parra.

4/2002:    Pablo Tusset receives the Tigre Juan from LibrOviedo.

4/2002:    Poet Guillermo Carnero receives the Fastenrath Award from the Spanish Royal Academy.

4/2002:    Poet Ramon Bascuñana receives the Juan Ramón Jiménez award.

4/2002:    Tomas Eloy Martinez receives the V Alfaguara Award for best novel.

4/2002:    Manuel Longares receives the Critics Award for his novel "Romanticismo".

4/2002:    Gil Bera won the Alfonso X El Sabio award for best historic novel.

3/2002:    Eugenio de Nora won the Castilla y Leon Literary Award.

2/2002:    Javier Cercas won the Ciutat de Barcelona award for his book "Soldados de Salamina".

1/2002:    Angela Vallvey wins the 2002 Premio Nadal for her novel "Los Estados Carenciales".

9/2001:    Arturo Pérez-Reverte's fifth novel, "The Nautical Chart",  is released in the US.  Translated by Margaret Sayers Peden.

7/22/00:    Carmen Martín Gaite dies of cancer at the age of 74.  She was the first woman to win Spain's National Literature Prize in 1978 for her work, "The Back Room", and her other popular works include "The Strange Thing is Living",  "Variable Cloud", and "Roro es lo vivir".   This accomplished novelist, essayist, playwright and translator from Salamanca published her first novel at 29 and also won the Premio Gijón.

10/28/99:  Rafael Alberti dies at his home in Puerto de Santa Maria at the age of 96.  He succumbed to a lung ailment which had troubled him for years and required previous hospitalization.  Alberti was the last surviving member of the Generation of '27.  He was survived by his second wife, Maria Asuncion Mateos, and his daughter, Aitana.  King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia telegrammed the widow of the former exile to offer their condolences.  Alberti's will requested that his ashes be dispersed over the Bay of Cadiz.

10/16/99:    The Planeta publishing house prize is awarded to Laura Espido Freire for her third novel, "Frozen Peaches".  As a result, this novel will be published by Planeta, and Espido Freire will receive a cash prize of $312,500.  The 25-year-old Basque novelist previously wrote "Ireland" and "Where It's Always October". The Planeta award, now in its 48th year, was previously awarded to Camilo José Cela.

7/22/99:    Claudio Rodriguez dies in a Madrid hospital of colon cancer at the age of 65.  The poet published five books of poetry, including "Don de Ebriedad", and also translated the poetry of T.S. Eliot into Spanish.  Rodriguez was a member of the Royal Spanish Academy and was awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize for the Arts in 1993.  He was to be buried in his native province of Zamora and is survived by his wife.

1/27/99:    Gonzalo Torrente Ballester dies of a heart attack at his home in Salamanca at the age of 88.  Torrente Ballester was a University professor and popular novelist with over 30 titles to his credit, and was awarded the 1985 Cervantes Prize for Literature.  He achieved popularity in 1972 with the publication of "La Saga/Guda de J.B." (The Legend/Flight of J.B.).  His last novel, "Los Anos Indecisos" (The Indecisive Years) had been released only a year ago.  Torrente Ballester was married twice and is survived by his 11 children.  He was to be buried in the town of his birth, El Ferrol, a northwestern port.