Writers and Barcelona
Barcelona has been and keeps being a perfect scene for literary works, a source of inspiration for writers who were born here and a welcoming place for writers from around the world who have described it in their books.
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Julià de JÒDAR
(Badalona, 1942)
Her triology L'atzar de les ombres, is made up of the novels L'àngel de la segona mort (1997 Ciutat de Barcelona and Cavall Verd-Blai Bonet awards ), El trànsit de les fades (2001 Crítics award), and El metall impur (2006. Sant Jordi and Crítics Serra d'Or Awards). These reflect the post-war conflicts in the Gorg district of Badalona. Her work of literature Zapata als encants (1999) is set in the Clot district.
Sebastià JOVANI
(Barcelona, 1977)
A poet, novelist, and essayist, he has a Phd in Philosophy from the University of Barcelona. He is author of the novels Emulsió de Ferro (2009), Emet o la revolta (2011), set in the district of Gràcia in Barcelona, and L'Ètica (2014). He is also the author of the essay Los Libros del Diablo (2006), and has participated in the poetry anthology Nueve Fresquíssimos d'Espanya (2009, and in the collection of stories Matar en Barcelona (2010) and Crims.Cat (2011).
Robert JUAN-CANTAVELLA
(Almassora, 1976)
Poet, novelist, and French translator, he is a lecturer on the Master in Communication and Travel Writing at Pompeu Fabra University’s Continuous Education Institute (IdEC) in Barcelona, where he lives. Graduated in Humanities from the University Jaume I of Castellon, in 2003 he completed his PhD in Theory of Literature at Pompeu Fabra University. He is author of the short story book Proust Fiction (2005), novels Otro (2001), El Dorado (2008), El corazón de Julia (2011, co-written with Óscar Gual and illustrated by Riot Über Alles), and Asesino cósmico (2011), as well as the poetry book Los sonetos (2011).
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Alicia KOPF
(Girona, 1982)
Artistic name of Imma Ávalos, Alicia Kopf is a visual artist and a writer. She studied Fine Arts, Theory of Literature and Comparative Literature. With her first book, Hermano de hielo (2016), won the Documenta prize for writers under 35 in 2015, as well as the Bookseller's Prize in 2016. Its Spanish translation won the Ojo Crítico and Cálamo prizes.
Stefanie KREMSER
(Düsseldorf, 1967)
German narrator and screen writer. In 2003 she moves to Barcelona and is the author of the novels, written originally in geman, Postal de Copacabana (2007), Carrer dels oblidats (2012) -which happens in the old Gothic Quarter of the city- and El dia que vaig aprendre a volar (2016).
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Carmen LAFORET
(Barcelona, 1921 – Madrid, 2004)
She was born in Barcelona but moved with her family to Las Palmas at the age of two. At the age of eighteen, she returned to her home city to study Philosophy and LIterature and Law. She later moved to Madrid. At the young age of twenty-three, she won the first edition of the Nadal Award in 1944 for her novel Nada. Her literary career was marked by the outstanding success and impact in the world of Spanish literature of this book.
Néstor LUJÁN
(Mataró, 1922 – Barcelona 1995)
A writer and journalist, he is director and columnist for weekly newspaper Destino, where he has gained significant popularity for his writing on the poor state of public services in Barcelona. As a novelist, he has published books such as Decidnos, ¿quién mató al conde? (1987), Los espejos paralelos (1991), La Rambla fa baixada (1994, premi Ramon Llull) and Els fantasmes del Trianon (1996. Sant Jordi Award 1995). In Casanova o la incapacitat de perversió (1988), he describes Giacomo Casanova’s time in Barcelona in the year 1768.
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Pierre MAC ORLAN
(Péronne, 1882 - Saint-Cyr-sur-Morin, 1970)
Writer and composer. He portrays the dark underworld of cities. In La bandera he tells the story of the adventures of a militant from Barcelona who goes to fight at the Moroccon Rif War. He was appointed member of the Goncourt Academy in 1960.
Antonio MACHADO
(Seville, 1875 - Colliure 1939)
Poet and intellectual. Member of the Generation of 1898 and one of the most universal poets of Spanish literature. He went into exile following the Republican defeat, and during his period in Barcelona he dedicated part of his time to writing prose, later compiled in Juan de Mairena II.
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André MALRAUX
(Paris, 1901 - Créteil, 1976)
Writer and politician. At a very young age he travelled to Indochina where he came into contact with communist revolutionaries. He was an anti-fascist militant, and travelled to Spain at the beginning of the Civil War to join the Republican forces. As a result of his experience, he wrote L’espoir (1937), later converted to the film Espoir, sierra de Teruel(1945), partially filmed in Montjuïc.