Alfredo Marqueríe facts for kids

Alfredo Marqueríe (born January 17, 1907 – died July 31, 1974) was a Spanish writer. He studied law and earned a special degree in 1928. But his real love was literature, and that's where he built his career.

During his life, he was very well known as an important theatre critic. He wrote for newspapers and even on television. Alfredo Marqueríe also wrote about fifty books. These included his poems, essays, and short stories. He also wrote about ten novels and at least two biographies.

Biography

Early Life and Family

Alfredo Marqueríe Mompín was born in Mahón on the island of Menorca. His father, also named Alfredo Marqueríe, was a soldier. He was also a sculptor and ran a local newspaper. Alfredo spent his childhood in Segovia.

His father loved literature and organized plays, bullfights, and circus shows. This is how young Alfredo learned to love show business. Sadly, when Alfredo was only 14, his father died in Morocco. He was fighting in a battle known as the Disaster of Annual.

School and First Writings

In Segovia, Alfredo went to a good secondary school. One of his teachers was the famous poet Antonio Machado, who helped him a lot. In 1922, after his father died, Alfredo started writing poems. These poems were published in literary magazines like "Alfar" and "Papel de Vasar."

In 1926, he became an editor at a regional newspaper called "Heraldo Segoviano."

Choosing a Career in Literature

Alfredo also studied hard at university. He earned a special degree and a doctorate in law. In 1930, he became a professor at a university in Segovia. But he only taught law for a short time.

Alfredo's main interest was always literature. In late 1931, he became the editor-in-chief of "Segovia Republicana," another newspaper. Around this time, he did well in an exam for a local government job. But he chose to follow his dream of working in journalism.

Moving to Madrid

In 1932, Alfredo moved to Madrid. He took an editor job at the newspaper "Informaciones." He stayed an important part of this newspaper's team for most of the 1930s. After 1940, he kept working in newspapers. His writing then focused mainly on theatre criticism.

Political Involvement

Like many people in Spain, Alfredo Marqueríe became worried about the government at the time. This was a period of political problems and economic difficulties. After 1933, he often visited a literary group called the "ballena alegre." This group met at a place called "Cervecería Lyon."

Famous writers and thinkers like José Antonio Primo de Rivera were part of this group. By joining this group, Alfredo Marqueríe showed his conservative political views. This was before the Spanish Civil War started in 1936.

Journalism During the War

Alfredo Marqueríe was in Madrid when the Spanish Civil War began. In September 1936, San Sebastián was one of the first big cities to be taken by General Franco's armies. Soon after, Alfredo moved from Madrid to San Sebastián. He lived there for the rest of the war.

From San Sebastián, he wrote to support the Nationalist cause. He wrote for magazines like "Unidad," "Vértice," and "Fotos." He also wrote poems that were included in "Lira bélica." This was a well-known collection of war poems from that time. Other poets who supported the Nationalists were also in this book.

Post-War Journalism

At the end of 1937, a journalist asked Alfredo Marqueríe to help edit a new newspaper. This newspaper, called "España," was published in Tangier. After the war ended, Alfredo Marqueríe became a deputy director at "Informaciones." This newspaper was run by his friend Víctor de la Serna.

After the Civil War

In the early 1940s, Alfredo Marqueríe was also a director of a weekly magazine called "Tajo." He also wrote for other pro-government magazines.

Through his journalism, Alfredo Marqueríe became very well known. From 1944 to 1960, he regularly wrote as a theatre critic for the newspaper "ABC". After 1956, he also gave theatre reviews on "TVE", the national television service. Then, from 1964 to 1973, he wrote for the newspaper "Pueblo." His articles also appeared in regional newspapers.

For over twenty years after the war, he was the editor-in-chief of No-Do. This was Spain's state-owned company that made cinema newsreels and government messages.

Even though he was best known for his newspaper, magazine, and TV work, Alfredo Marqueríe also wrote many books. He wrote essays, poetry, plays, and novels throughout his career.

Prizes

Alfredo Marqueríe won many awards. Some of the most important ones include:

• The National Literature Prize (1934)
• The National Theater Prize (1953)
• The National Text Books Prize (1959)
• The Lope de Vega Sinnets Prize from Madrid City Council (1963)
• The Luca de Tena Prize
• The Rodríguez Santamaría Prize

See also

In Spanish: Alfredo Marqueríe Mompín para niños