Alberto Ruy Sánchez facts for kids
Alberto Ruy-Sánchez Lacy is a Mexican writer and editor. He was born in Mexico City on December 7, 1951. He writes many types of books, including stories, non-fiction, and poems. Since 1988, he has been the main editor and founder of Artes de Mexico. This is a very important arts magazine in Latin America. He has also taught at famous universities like Stanford and La Sorbonne. He has given talks all over the world. Many famous writers, like Octavio Paz, have praised his work. He has also won many international awards.
Contents
Early Life and Discoveries
Alberto Ruy-Sánchez's parents, Joaquín Ruy-Sánchez and María Antonieta Lacy, were from Sonora, a state in northern Mexico. Alberto was the oldest of five children. For some years, his family spent part of the year in Mexico City and part in northern Mexico. This included living in the Sonoran desert in Baja California when he was very young. This experience gave him a special connection to the desert.
A Journey to Morocco
Alberto Ruy-Sánchez had forgotten his early childhood memories. But in 1975, when he visited the Sahara desert for the first time, these memories suddenly came back. This unexpected memory led him to have a special creative connection with the Moroccan desert. The ancient walled city of Essaouira (also called Mogador) became a main setting for many of his novels.
He explained this connection in an essay called "The nine gifts that Morocco gave me." He wrote that his first trip to Mogador felt like a much deeper journey. He was surprised to find a place so far from Mexico that felt very familiar. He felt like he had entered another Mexico. He believes this is because Mexico has a mix of cultures, including a strong Arabic heritage from Spain.
What Inspired His Writing
Before his first trip to Morocco, Alberto Ruy-Sánchez went to Jesuit schools in Mexico. There, he learned to see the world as a complex and beautiful place. He learned to enjoy it using all his senses. This idea of "listening with the eyes" or "tasting with the smell" became a key part of his writing.
His large family in Sonora often had weekly meetings. At these meetings, Alberto loved listening to and telling stories. This is where he first felt the desire to become a writer. This desire grew stronger when he visited the Djemaa el Fna square in Marrakech in 1975 and 1976. This square is famous for its traditional storytellers. It was even named a UNESCO Oral Human Heritage Site in 1997.
The Theme of Search in His Books
The idea of "searching" is a big theme in Alberto Ruy-Sánchez's novels. He uses his books to explore life's mysteries and go beyond what we can see. He started writing to understand human feelings and relationships. This led to his novel Mogador, the names of the air. This book became part of a series that included En los labios del agua, Los Jardines secretos de Mogador, and Nueve veces el asombro.
It took him almost twenty years to write the full series. Each book he published led to many letters from readers. He would think about these stories and use them to create new books. This kept the theme of "search" going in his work.
While living in Paris, Ruy-Sánchez explored ancient philosophies for personal growth. He describes his books as "material objects" that can help people think, feel, understand, and improve their lives.
Awards and His Life Today
Alberto Ruy-Sánchez's books have been translated into many languages. These include French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Arabic, Serbian, and Turkish. Only one of his books has been published in English. His Spanish books are still popular and are considered "cult favorites."
He won his first award in 1987, the Xavier Villaurrutia Prize. This is Mexico's most important literary award. In 1991, the University of New Mexico honored him as a Literary Essayist. He also received a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. In 2000, the French Government honored him as an Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. The Governor of Kentucky also gave him the "Kentucky Colonel" award, which is a high honor in that state. He is also an Honorary Citizen of Louisville.
From 1999 to 2003, he was the Chairman of the Creative Non-Fiction Summer Program at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada. In 2006, the Editor's Guild of Mexico gave him the Premio Juan Pablos al Mérito Editorial. This award recognized his 26 years of work as an editor. It especially honored his work in creating Artes de México, which is a leading cultural project in the Americas.
Alberto Ruy-Sánchez lives in Mexico City with his wife, Margarita De Orellana. She is a historian and co-editor of Artes de México. They have two children, Andrea (born 1984) and Santiago (born 1987). He continues to travel and speak internationally. He also researches different Mexican cultures within Mexico.
Awards and Honors
- 1987, Premio Xavier Villaurrutia for his novel Los nombres del aire.
- 1988, Fellowship, John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, New York.
- 1991, José Fuentes Mares National Prize for Literature, for his book Una introducción a Octavio Paz.
- 1993, Honorary Member of the Sistema Nacional de Creadores, Mexico.
- 1998, Honorary Citizen of Louisville, Kentucky.
- 1999, Honorary Member of the chapter Mu Epsilon of the National Hispanic Society Sigma Delta Pi, in the USA.
- 1999, Kentucky Colonel, by the Governor of Kentucky.
- 2000, Prix des Trois Continents, for the French edition of his novel En los labios del agua.
- 2001, Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, by the French Government.
- 2002, Honorary Captain of the historical Steam Boat La belle de Louisville.
- 2003, Premio Cálamo, by Librería Cálamo and the Universidad de Zaragoza for Los Jardines Secretos de Mogador, Spain.
- 2005, Gran Orden de Honor Nacional al Mérito Autoral. By the Instituto Nacional del Derecho de Autor. Mexico.
- 2006, Premio a la Excelencia de lo Nuestro. By the Fundación México Unido. Mexico.
- 2006, Premio Juan Pablos al Mérito Editorial. By the Cámara Nacional de la Industria Editorial Mexicana (CANAIEM). Mexico.
- 2011, Premio San Petersburgo Lee, voted by readers in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
- 2014, Premio Las Pérgolas. Awarded by the Mexican Booksellers Association. For his "notable contribution to Hispanic letters."
- 2015, Premio ELENA PONIATOWSKA, Chicago. Awarded by the NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MEXICAN ARTS, in Chicago. Shared with Margarita De Orellana.
- 2015, Premio POESTATE 2015. Awarded by the Poetry Festival of Lugano, Switzerland: POESTATE. Shared with Elsa Cross.
- 2017, Premio Homenaje al Bibliófilo 2017. Awarded by the FIL: Guadalajara International Book Fair.
- 2017, Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes 2017. In Linguistics and Literature. This is the highest honor given by the Mexican state since 1945.
- 2018, Premio Mazatlán de Literatura. For the novel Los sueños de la serpiente.
- 2018, Doctorado Honoris Causa. Awarded by the Centro Universitario de Integración Humanística, CIUH, State of Mexico.
- 2019, Premio Caracol de Plata. Awarded by the Letras en la Mar Poetry Festival. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.
See also
In Spanish: Alberto Ruy Sánchez para niños
