Enrique Vila-Matas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Enrique Vilas-Matas
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Enrique Vilas-Matas
31 March 1948 |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Author |
Enrique Vila-Matas is a famous Spanish writer. He was born in Barcelona, Spain, on March 31, 1948. He is known for writing many award-winning books. His stories often mix different styles and ideas. Many people think he is one of the most original writers in the Spanish language.
He is also a founding member of a special group called the Order of Finnegans. This group meets every year in Dublin, Ireland, on June 16. They gather to celebrate the famous writer James Joyce and his book Ulysses.
About His Life
Enrique Vila-Matas was born in Barcelona in 1948. His father worked in real estate. Enrique started writing when he was just 12 years old. Later, he studied law and journalism.
In 1968, he became an editor for a film magazine called Fotogramas. He also directed two short films in 1970. Their names were Todos los jóvenes tristes (All the sad youngsters) and Fin de verano (The end of summer).
In 1971, he did his military service in Melilla. While there, he wrote his first book. It was called Mujer en el espejo contemplando el paisaje. After returning to Barcelona, he worked as a film critic.
From 1974 to 1976, he lived in Paris. He rented a small room from the writer Marguerite Duras. There, he wrote his second novel, La asesina ilustrada.
His third and fourth books came out in the early 1980s. They were Al sur de los párpados and Nunca voy al cine. Enrique Vila-Matas started to become well-known in 1985. This was after he published his book Historia abreviada de la literatura portátil.
He then published several collections of short stories. These included Una casa para siempre and Suicidios ejemplares. Recuerdos inventados is a collection of his best short stories.
Later, he wrote many novels. Some of these are Lejos de Veracruz and Extraña forma de vida. Other important novels include Bartleby & Co. and Montano's Malady.
In 2003, he published Never Any End to Paris. This book shares his experiences living in Paris. In 2005, his book Doctor Pasavento came out. It explores the idea of disappearing and being nobody. This book finished a series of three novels about writing.
In 2007, he published a collection of short stories called Exploradores del abismo. In 2008, he released Dietario voluble. This book mixes fiction, essays, and parts of his own life. It's like a diary that shows how his work is put together.
In 2010, he wrote the novel Dublinesca. This book is about a publisher who is having problems. Since then, he has published more novels. These include Kassel no invita a la lógica (2014) and Mac y su contratiempo (2017). The English version of Mac and His Problem was considered for the International Booker Prize in 2020. This book is known for being a "masterpiece of metafiction". This means it's a story that talks about the act of writing itself.
Awards and Honors
Enrique Vila-Matas has received many important awards. He is a knight of the French Legion of Honour. This is a very high honor in France. He also has an honorary doctorate from the University of the Andes, Venezuela.
He has won many literary prizes. These include the Ciudad de Barcelona prize and the Venezuelan Rómulo Gallegos Prize in 2001. He also won the Herralde prize and the Nacional de la Crítica prize in 2003.
In 2006, he received the Internazionale Ennio Flaiano prize. He also won the Fundación José Manuel Lara prize and the Real Academia Española prize that year. In 2007, he received the Elsa Morante literary prize. This award honors a great foreign writer each year.
In 2009, he won the Internazionale Mondello prize for his novel Dottor Pasavento. In 2011, he received the Bottari Lattes Grinzane Prize in Italy. He also won the Prix Jean Carriere in France and the Leteo Award in Spain for Dublinesque.
In 2012, he received the Argital Award Bilbao City. This was for his book Air of Dylan. He also won the Premio Gregor von Rezzori for the Italian translation of Exploradores del abismo. In 2014, he won the Premio Formentor de las Letras. In 2015, he received the FIL Literary Award in Romance Languages, which is worth $150,000. In 2016, he won the National Award of Catalonia.
He is a founding member of the Order of Finnegans. This group is named after a pub in Dalkey, Ireland. Some people also think it's named after James Joyce's last novel, Finnegans Wake. The members of this group must respect James Joyce's novel Ulysses. They also try to attend Bloomsday every year on June 16 in Dublin. This is a long day that ends at the Martello tower in Sandycove. This is where the novel Ulysses begins. Participants read parts of Ulysses and then walk to Finnegan's pub.
His most recent novel is Montevideo. This book also uses metafiction. It explores writing and connected hotel rooms. One of these rooms is in Montevideo at the Cervantes hotel. This room was mentioned in two short stories by Adolfo Bioy Casares and Julio Cortázar.
His books have been translated into many languages. These include French, English, German, Italian, Russian, and Japanese. They are also available in Arabic, Greek, and many other languages around the world.
Jacqueline McCarrick, from The Times Literary Supplement, wrote about his novel Dublinesque. She said that Vila-Matas "has created a masterpiece".
See also
In Spanish: Enrique Vila-Matas para niños
