Amparo Alvajar facts for kids
María del Amparo Alvajar López Jean, known as Amparo Alvajar, (born August 11, 1916 – died May 1998) was a talented Spanish journalist, writer, and translator. She came from Galicia, a region in Spain. She was known for her plays and for translating important documents for big international groups.
Her Life Story
Amparo Alvajar was born in A Coruña, Spain, on August 11, 1916. Her father, César Alvajar, was a politician who believed in a republic (a type of government where citizens elect leaders). Her mother was Amparo López Jean. Amparo had three siblings: Ana María, María Teresa, and Javier. From a young age, she was very good at music and learning new things. She studied business in A Coruña.
During the time of the Second Spanish Republic, Amparo worked in A Coruña. She was a secretary for Casares Quiroga, an important leader. When a group called the Popular Front won the elections, she moved to Madrid. There, she worked for the Secret Services department of the Ministry of the Interior, still under Casares Quiroga.
After a big event on July 18, 1936, she moved to Valencia. There, she married Arturo Cuadrado. Later, she moved with the government to Barcelona, where her only daughter, Silvia, was born.
Amparo then had to leave Spain and go to France. From the city of Bordeaux, she traveled all the way to Buenos Aires, Argentina. She lived in Argentina until 1955. While there, she wrote articles and essays about theater and Galicia. She also worked on translating Spanish documents. She even published two plays, Amada y Tu (Beloved and You) and Un balcón para los Lester (A Balcony for the Lesters).
Later, she married an Argentine lawyer and moved to Mexico with him. Years after that, she moved to New York City. In New York, she worked as a translator for the United Nations, a very important international organization.
After her time in New York, she moved to Paris, France. There, she worked as a translator for Correo da UNESCO, which is a publication from UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).
In 1961, Amparo became the director of the translation team at the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland. She also worked as a translator for other important groups, like the Disarmament Committee and the Atomic Energy Organization. She even translated during a big conference about European security.
Amparo retired in Monção, Portugal, where she passed away in May 1998.
What She Wrote and Directed
In Buenos Aires, Amparo Alvajar had two of her plays performed. These plays, El Balcón de los Lester and Amada y tú, were written in Spanish with help from Agustín Caballero. Amada y tú is a play with three acts. It tells the story of three men who fall in love with the ghost of a teenager in an old house.
While in Geneva, Amparo also directed plays by famous Spanish writers. She directed The Best Mayor, the King by Lope de Vega, Las cartas boca abajo (The Cards Face Down) by Antonio Buero Vallejo, and El sí de las niñas (The Maidens' Consent) by Leandro Fernández de Moratín.
Special Recognition
In 1961, Amparo Alvajar received a special honor. She was named a Knight of the Order of the Spanish Republic. This is why she was sometimes called "Knight."
See also
In Spanish: Amparo Alvajar para niños
