Alejandro Sawa facts for kids

Alejandro Sawa Martínez (born March 15, 1862 – died March 3, 1909) was a Spanish writer, poet, and journalist. He was known for his unique and independent way of life, often called "bohemian."

Alejandro Sawa was born in Seville, Spain. His family had roots in Greece. His father worked as an importer. Alejandro first studied to become a priest in Málaga, but he later changed his mind. He then decided to study law in Granada. In 1885, he moved to Madrid. There, he lived a simple and often poor life.

Life in Paris

In 1889, Alejandro Sawa moved to Paris, France, because he was interested in its lively art scene. He worked for a publishing company called Garnier, where he helped edit a large dictionary. This job allowed him to meet many famous writers of the time, especially those who followed the Parnassian and Symbolist styles. However, Sawa himself preferred the Romantic style of writers like Victor Hugo.

He also translated books by the Goncourt brothers. Sawa often looked back at his time in Paris as his "golden years." While in Paris, he married a woman named Jeanne Poirier, and they had a daughter named Elena.

Return to Madrid and Later Years

Alejandro Sawa returned to Madrid in 1896 and became very involved in journalism. He worked as an editor for several newspapers, including El Motín, El Globo, and La Correspondencia de España. He also wrote for other well-known papers like ABC.

His later years were difficult. He slowly lost his eyesight and also faced mental health challenges. Even with these struggles, he had one artistic success: a play he adapted from a book called Kings in Exile by Alphonse Daudet. This play was performed in 1899.

Sawa continued to write for important Spanish newspapers, even as his health got worse. He once wrote, "I wouldn't have wanted to be born, but I find it unbearable to die." He passed away on March 3, 1909, in his home in Madrid. He was blind and very ill at the time.

Influence on Other Writers

Alejandro Sawa's unique personality and life story inspired many writers of his time, especially those from a group known as the Generation of '98. For example, Pío Baroja based a character in his novel The Tree of Knowledge on Sawa.

Another famous writer, Valle-Inclán, created the main character, Max Estrella, in his play Bohemian Lights largely based on Alejandro Sawa. Even though Sawa might have seemed rough on the outside, he had a very strong personality. His writing style reminded people of famous authors like Victor Hugo and Verlaine. Sawa even claimed these writers, along with Alphonse Daudet, Rubén Darío, and Manuel Machado, were his personal friends. Manuel Machado later wrote a poem in Sawa's honor.

After Sawa's death, Valle-Inclán wrote to Rubén Darío about him.

His Works

After Alejandro Sawa died, one of his important books, Iluminaciones en la sombra, was published in 1910. It had an introduction written by Rubén Darío. This book showed a new, more modern writing style, different from his earlier novels.

Some of his earlier books include:

• La mujer de todo el mundo (1885)
• Crimen legal (1886)
• Declaración de un vencido (1887)
• Noche (1889)
• Criadero de curas (1888)
• La sima de Igusquiza (1888)

Images for kids

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  Alejandro Sawa in Madrid, around 1896.

See also

In Spanish: Alejandro Sawa para niños