Iris M. Zavala facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Iris M. Zavala
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| Born | 27 December 1936 Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Died | 10 April 2020 (aged 83) Madrid, Spain |
| Occupation | scholar, writer, and poet |
| Subject | Puerto Rican political independence, women's themes |
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| Notable awards |
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Iris M. Zavala (born December 27, 1936 – died April 10, 2020) was a famous writer, scholar, and poet from Puerto Rico. She later lived in Barcelona, Spain.
Iris Zavala wrote more than 50 books and hundreds of articles. Many of her writings, like "Nocturna, mas no funesta", shared her ideas and beliefs. She passed away from COVID-19 in Madrid, Spain, when she was 83 years old.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Iris M. Zavala was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on December 27, 1936. She loved learning and went to college.
She earned her first degree in literature from the University of Puerto Rico. Later, she studied at the University of Salamanca in Spain. There, she received a "Licenciatura" degree and a "Doctor en Filosofía y Letras," which is like a Ph.D.. While in Spain, she was inspired by a famous Spanish scholar named Fernando Lázaro Carreter.
A Career in Teaching and Writing
Iris Zavala was a dedicated teacher. She taught at many universities around the world. Her teaching career took her to Puerto Rico, Mexico, the United States, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, and Spain.
In Spain, she was a special fellow at the University Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. She also worked at the University of the Balearic Islands in Mallorca. In the United States, she taught at places like the University of Minnesota.
Besides teaching, Iris Zavala was also a literary critic and essayist. This means she wrote about other people's books and shared her thoughts on different topics.
Notable Literary Works
In 1980, she wrote her most famous novel, "Kiliagonía". This book was about the city of Ponce, where she was born. Her second novel, "Nocturna, mas no funesta" (meaning "Nocturnal, but not fatal"), came out in 1987. This book was even turned into a play in Madrid!
Some of her other important books include "El libro de Apolonia o de las Islas" and "El sueño del amor". She also wrote many books about the history of literature and different ideas.
Honors and Awards
Iris M. Zavala received many special honors and awards for her amazing work. These awards showed how much her writing and teaching were valued.
Some of her notable awards include:
- She was honored by King Juan Carlos I of Spain in 1988.
- She received the Medal of Honor from the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña in Puerto Rico in 1994.
- The University of Puerto Rico gave her an honorary doctorate degree in 1996.
- She won the Gold Medal from the Ateneo Puertorriqueño in 1998.
- She was given an honorary doctoral degree from the Universidad de Málaga in 2004.
- She also received the María Zambrano Thought Award in 2006.
- The Pen Club Award was given to her for her book "El libro de Apolonia o de las islas".
Iris Zavala is also remembered in her hometown of Ponce. She is honored at the Park for Illustrious Ponce Citizens, which celebrates important people from the city.
See also
- In Spanish: Iris M. Zavala para niños
- List of Puerto Ricans
