Fernando Arrabal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fernando Arrabal
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Arrabal in 2012
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| Born | Fernando Arrabal Terán August 11, 1932 Melilla, Spain |
| Occupation | Playwright, screenwriter, film director, novelist and poet |
| Period | 1950s–present |
Fernando Arrabal Terán (born August 11, 1932) is a famous Spanish writer, playwright, and filmmaker. Although he was born in Melilla, Spain, he moved to France in 1955 and has lived there ever since. He often describes himself as feeling halfway between an expatriate (someone living outside their home country) and an exile (someone forced to leave).
Arrabal is known for creating a huge amount of work. He has written over 100 plays, 14 novels, and hundreds of poetry collections. He has also directed seven feature films. His work is so important that the The New York Times once called him one of the last great figures of modernism, a major art movement of the 20th century.
In 1962, Arrabal started an art group called the Panic Movement with his friends Alejandro Jodorowsky and Roland Topor. The group was inspired by Pan, the Greek god of the wild. Arrabal was also friends with famous artists like Andy Warhol and Tristan Tzara.
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Early Life and the Spanish Civil War
Fernando Arrabal was born to Carmen Terán González and Fernando Arrabal Ruiz, who was a painter. His childhood was deeply affected by a major event in Spanish history.
In 1936, the Spanish Civil War began. This was a conflict between those who supported the government, called the Republicans, and those who wanted to overthrow it, called the Nationalists. Arrabal's father was a loyal officer in the army who supported the Republic. Because he did not join the Nationalists, he was arrested and sentenced to death.
His sentence was later changed to 30 years in prison. He was moved between several prisons. In 1941, he was sent to a hospital because he seemed to have a mental illness. It is believed he may have pretended to be sick to be moved to a place with less security. On a snowy night in December 1941, he escaped from the hospital wearing only his pajamas. He was never seen again.
During this time, Arrabal's mother moved with him to different cities in Spain. He was a very bright student and won a national prize for gifted children in 1941. He loved to read and learn about the world.
Becoming a Writer
As a young man, Arrabal was told by his mother to prepare for a military career, but he was not interested. Instead, he studied business and began writing his first plays in 1950.
He later moved to Madrid to study law. He spent time at the Ateneo de Madrid, a cultural center where he met poets and other writers. This is when he wrote early versions of his famous plays, including Picnic on the Battlefield and El triciclo (The Tricycle).
In 1954, he traveled to Paris to see a play by the famous German playwright Bertolt Brecht. A year later, he won a scholarship to study in Paris. While there, he became very sick with tuberculosis. He saw this as a "lucky mishap" because it allowed him to stay in Paris permanently. He considered exile his true home.
Art and Ideas
Arrabal's work is often described as wild, surprising, and thought-provoking. One critic said his plays are like a "dramatic carnival" that challenges modern society. His style was influenced by writers like Franz Kafka and Alfred Jarry.
He was known for being against the government of General Franco, who ruled Spain for many years. He was also interested in anarchism, which is the idea that people can live without powerful rulers.
Awards and Recognition
Arrabal's work has been celebrated all over the world. He has won many important awards for his writing and films.
- In France: He received the Grand Prize for Theatre from the prestigious Académie française and was named to the Légion d'honneur, one of France's highest honors.
- In Spain: He won the Nadal Prize for his novel La torre herida por el rayo and the National Dramatic Literature Award.
- Internationally: He received the Nabokov Prize for novels and an Obie Award for his theater work in New York.
In 1990, he was given the special title of 'Transcendent Satrap' by the Collège de 'Pataphysique, a group that honors creative and imaginative thinkers. Other people who have received this title include Marcel Duchamp, Eugène Ionesco, and Umberto Eco.
Creative Works
Arrabal has created a large and diverse body of work, including films, plays, novels, and poetry.
Films
Arrabal wrote and directed seven feature films. His first film, Viva la muerte (1971), is based on his childhood and the disappearance of his father. Other notable films include I Will Walk Like a Crazy Horse (1973) and L'arbre de Guernica (The Tree of Guernica) (1975). His films are known for their unique and powerful images.
Plays
Arrabal is most famous for his plays. He has written over 100 of them. Some of his best-known plays are:
- Picnic on the Battlefield
- The Tricycle
- Fando and Lis
- The Automobile Graveyard
- The Architect and the Emperor of Assyria
- And They Put Handcuffs on the Flowers
His plays have been performed in many countries and translated into several languages. They often explore themes of freedom, war, and the strange parts of life.
Novels and Poetry
Arrabal has also written many novels and books of poetry. His novels often mix reality with fantasy. Some of his well-known novels include Baal Babylone and The Tower Struck by Lightning. He has also worked with famous artists like Salvador Dalí and René Magritte to create special "artists' books" that combine text and images.
Interest in Chess
Arrabal is a huge fan of chess. For over 30 years, he wrote a column about chess for the French magazine L'Express. He has attended many chess tournaments and is friends with the American Grandmaster Gata Kamsky. He has written several books about the game, exploring its connection to myths and life.
See also
In Spanish: Fernando Arrabal para niños
