Antonio Gamoneda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Antonio Gamoneda
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León, 2007
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| Born | Antonio Gamoneda Lobón 30 May 1931 Oviedo Asturias, Spain |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Notable awards | Miguel de Cervantes Prize 2006 |
Antonio Gamoneda Lobón (born May 30, 1931) is a famous Spanish poet. He won the important Cervantes Prize in 2006.
Contents
About Antonio Gamoneda
His Early Life
Antonio Gamoneda was born in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain, on May 30, 1931. His father, also named Antonio, was a poet who published one book. Sadly, Antonio became an orphan in 1934. He then moved to León with his mother, Amelia Lobon. His mother's presence was a comfort during the tough times of war.
In 1936, schools were closed because of the Spanish Civil War. Antonio learned to read by himself, using his father's book. He lived in a working-class area of León. This allowed him to see the difficulties people faced during and after the war.
Antonio went to a religious school for a short time in 1941. He left school in 1943. On his fourteenth birthday, he started working as a messenger at a bank. He worked at the bank for 24 years, until 1969. During this time, he studied on his own to finish his pre-university education.
Starting His Writing Career
While working at the bank, Antonio secretly joined a group of thinkers who were against the government at the time. He published his first book, Sublevación inmóvil (which means Motionless Revolt), in 1960. This book was special because it broke away from the usual writing styles in Spain.
In 1969, he started working for the cultural services in León. He tried to promote new ideas through poetry, even using money from the government. He faced some problems because of his progressive ideas but was later allowed to continue his work. He also started writing for different cultural magazines.
Antonio took an eight-year break from writing poetry. This break happened around the time the dictator Francisco Franco died. It was also when Spain began its move towards democracy, called the "transición." This period was a big change for the poet. His next book, Descripción de la mentira (A Description of the Lie), published in 1977, showed his growth as a writer.
Later Works and Big Awards
After that, he published Lápidas (Tombstones) in 1987. He also released Edad (Age), which collected all his poems until 1987. This book won the National Prize for Literature in Spain.
In 1992, his book Libro del frío (Book of the Cold) came out. This book helped him become one of the most important Spanish poets. A final version of this work, including Frío de límites (Cold of Limits), was released in 2000. He worked with artist Antoni Tàpies on this.
In 2003, he published Arden las pérdidas (Losses are Burning). This book was a highlight of his later work. He also wrote Cecilia (2004), named after his granddaughter. In 2004, he released La luz: Collected Poetry: (1947–2004).
Antonio Gamoneda received many important awards. In 2005, he won the first European Prize for Literature. In 2006, he received the Reina Sofia Award. The same year, he was given the Cervantes Prize. This is the highest honor for Spanish writers. He also has several gold and silver medals from different cities and regions. The University of León gave him an honorary doctorate degree.
His Main Books
Antonio Gamoneda has written many books of poems. Some of his well-known works include:
- Sublevación inmóvil (Motionless Revolt) from 1960.
- Descripción de la mentira (A Description of the Lie) from 1977.
- Edad (Age), a collection of his poems up to 1986.
- Libro del frío (Book of the Cold) from 1992.
- Arden las pérdidas (Losses are Burning) from 2003.
- Cecilia from 2004.
- Esta luz (This Light), a collection of his poetry from 1947 to 2004.
See also
In Spanish: Antonio Gamoneda para niños
