Francisco Candel Tortajada facts for kids

Paco Candel's Gegantó (a traditional giant figure) in Barcelona

Francisco Candel Tortajada (born May 31, 1925, died November 23, 2007) was a Spanish writer and journalist. Most people knew him as Paco Candel. He was born in a small town called Casas Altas in Valencia, Spain. When he was a young child, his family moved to Barcelona, where he lived most of his life.

Paco Candel spent much of his time studying how people moved to the Barcelona area in the 20th century. He wrote about the lives and experiences of these new residents.

His most famous book was called Els altres catalans, which means The Other Catalans. This book was a special study about immigration. It was so important that it helped shape big decisions made by a group called the Assemblea de Catalunya in 1971.

Paco Candel: Writer and Journalist

Paco Candel wrote many novels, short stories, essays, and articles. He also worked for several newspapers and magazines. Some of these included Tele/eXprés, Serra d'Or, and Avui.

His Role in Politics

Paco Candel also got involved in politics. He worked with the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSUC). In 1977, he was chosen to be a senator in the Spanish Courts for Barcelona. He was part of a group called Entesa dels Catalans.

Later, in 1979, he became a town councilor for Hospitalet de Llobregat. He was an independent member, but he worked with the PSUC. In this role, he was in charge of the Culture department, helping to promote arts and culture in the town.

Awards and Recognition

Paco Candel received important awards for his work. In 1983, he was given the Creu de Sant Jordi (Cross of Saint George). This is one of the highest honors in Catalonia. In 2003, the Generalitat de Catalunya (the government of Catalonia) gave him its Golden Medal.

Paco Candel passed away in 2007 after a long illness.

Selected Works

Here are some of the books Paco Candel wrote:

• 1956: Hay una juventud que aguarda (There is a youth which awaits)
• 1957: Donde la ciudad cambia su nombre (Where the city changes its name)
• 1959: Han matado a un hombre, han roto el paisaje (They have killed a man, they have broken the landscape)
• 1964: Els altres catalans (The other Catalans)
• 1967: Parlem-ne (Let's talk about it)
• 1973: Encara més sobre els altres catalans (Even more about the other Catalans)
• 1979: Un charnego en el Senado (A charnego in the Senate)
• 1981: El Candel contra Candel (Candel vs Candel)
• 1985: Els altres catalans vint anys després (The other Catalans twenty years later)
• 1988: La nova pobresa (The new poverty)

See also

In Spanish: Francisco Candel para niños