Jaume Cabré facts for kids

Jaume Cabré, a famous Catalan writer.

Jaume Cabré i Fabré (born in 1947) is a well-known writer from Catalonia, Spain. He writes many types of stories, including novels and short stories. He also creates scripts for television and movies. Jaume Cabré is also a philologist, which means he studies languages and literature. He helped start a group of Catalan writers called Ofèlia Dracs.

Jaume Cabré was born in Terrassa. He studied Catalan Philology at the University of Barcelona. For many years, he taught in high school and at the University of Lleida. He is also a member of an important group that studies the Catalan language, called the Philological Section of the Institut d'Estudis Catalans.

He has always balanced his writing with teaching. He also worked a lot in television and movies. He helped create and write the first Catalan TV series, La Granja (1989–1992). After that, he worked on other shows like Estació d'Enllaç (1994–1998) and Crims (2000). He also wrote TV movies such as La dama blanca (1987) and Sara (2003). He even wrote movie scripts, like La teranyina (1990), which was based on one of his own novels.

His Literary Work

How He Started Writing

Jaume Cabré began his writing career with two collections of short stories. These were Faules de mal desar (1974) and Toquen a morts (1977).

His first novel, Galceran l'heroi de la guerra negra (1978), introduced themes he would often write about. These include ideas about power and what it means to be human. The main character, Jaume Galceran, is a bandit with many different sides to him. He becomes an unexpected hero during the Second Carlist War.

In his book El mirall i l'ombra (The mirror and the shadow—1980), music became an important part of his stories for the first time. He also started thinking about the value of art, which would be a big theme in his later works.

In 1980, he wrote a novel for young people called La història que en Roc Pons no coneixia. A year later, he published a short story called El blauet.

Becoming a Well-Known Writer

Between 1984 and 1985, three novels were published that form the Cicle de Feixes. He had worked on these books for many years. In 1984, La teranyina was released. This story takes place during the Tragic Week in Barcelona. However, the events happen in a made-up city called Feixes, which is based on his hometown, Terrassa. The novel shows how different members of the Rigau family fight for power in politics, business, and their own family.

Also in 1984, Fra Junoy o l'agonia dels sons was published. Like many of Cabré's novels, this one unfolds slowly. It explores the hidden world of the church in Feixes and a monastery. Music is also very important in this book. Some characters from La teranyina appear here too, making it a kind of continuation. The story highlights the character of Fra Junoy, who is a victim of those who control things.

In 1985, the last part of the Feixes Cycle, Luvowski o la desraó, came out. It was a shorter novel included in a collection of stories called Llibre de preludis. In this collection, music plays an even bigger role.

In 1984, Jaume Cabré also published another book for young people: L'home de Sau.

His Later Works

In 1991, Senyoria was published. This novel is about how power can lead to corruption in the justice system. It is set in Barcelona in the late 18th century. While Fra Junoy showed a victim, Senyoria shows the person who causes harm, don Rafel Massó. It explores his fears and selfish actions.

L'ombra de l'eunuc (1996) tells the story of the last years of Franquism (a period in Spanish history) and the years that followed. It is seen through the eyes of the main character, Miquel Gensana. The novel also makes you think about creating art, especially music. The way the story is built is based on a famous music piece, Alban Berg's Concerto for violin and orchestra.

While working on his next novel, Cabré also explored other types of writing. In 1999, he published El sentit de la ficció. This book is an essay, where he shares his thoughts on how to create stories and write.

In 2000, he returned to fiction with Viatge d'hivern. This is a collection of fourteen stories that are secretly connected. As you read, you discover these hidden links, even though the stories take place in different times and places. It's a look at Europe and how we haven't always been able to build it the way we wanted.

The next year, 2001, he wrote a play called Pluja seca. It was performed for the first time at the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya. The play talks about how history can be changed and how the winners often write the story. The play begins in a castle where a pope has just died, and a small group of cardinals decides to choose a new one.

Les veus del Pamano (2004) starts in the 1940s in a small village in the Catalan Pyrenees. It continues up to the present day, following characters like the teachers Oriol Fontelles and Tina Bros, and a woman named Elisenda Vilabrú. This novel explores themes like historical memory, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the fear of forgetting.

In 2005, he published his second essay, La matèria de l'esperit, which is about how we read and understand literature.

His most recent novel, Jo confesso (Confessions), was published in Catalan in 2011. In this book, Jaume Cabré thinks about the idea of evil throughout history. He does this through the life of a smart and educated main character who was born in Barcelona after the Spanish Civil War. The English version of this book came out in 2015.

Literary Prizes

Jaume Cabré receiving an award with Muriel Casals at the Palau de la Música Catalana.

Jaume Cabré has won many awards for his writing. Here are some of them:

• Víctor Català, 1973. For Atrafegada calor
• Fastenrath, 1980. For Carn d'olla
• Recull, 1980. For Tarda lliure
• Serra d'Or Critics, 1981. For La història que en Roc Pons no coneixia
• Sant Jordi, 1983. For La teranyina
• Prudenci Bertrana, 1983. For Fra Junoy o l'agonia dels sons
• Serra d'Or Critics, 1985. For Fra Junoy o l'agonia dels sons
• Spanish Critics, 1985. For Fra Junoy o l'agonia dels sons
• Crexells, 1991.
• Readers of “El Temps”. For Senyoria
• Prudenci Bertrana, 1992. For Senyoria
• Serra d'Or Critics, 1992. For Senyoria
• Spanish Critics, 1992. For Senyoria
• Prix Méditerranée 2004. For Sa Seigneurie (best foreign novel)
• National Prize of Literature, 1992. For La granja
• City of Barcelona, 1997. For L'ombra de l'eunuc
• Serra d'Or Critics, 1997. For L'ombra de l'eunuc
• Lletra d'Or, 1997. For L'ombra de l'eunuc
• Fundació Enciclopèdia Catalana, 1999. For Viatge d’hivern
• Crítica Serra d’Or, 2001. For Viatge d’hivern
• Catalan writers prize to the literary trajectory, 2003.
• Catalan Critics, 2005. For Les veus del Pamano
• Premi d'Honor de les Lletres Catalanes, 2010.
• Maria Àngels Anglada Prize, 2012. For Jo confesso

See also

In Spanish: Jaume Cabré para niños