Jaume Medina facts for kids

Jaume Medina i Casanovas (born April 6, 1949, in Vic, Barcelona – died March 11, 2023, in Barcelona) was a very important Catalan expert. He studied languages, especially Latin, and was also a writer, translator, and poet. He spent his life exploring old texts and sharing them with new readers.

About Jaume Medina's Life

His School and University Years

Jaume Medina went to high school in his hometown of Vic. Later, he studied Classical Philology at the University of Barcelona. He finished his degree in 1972.

In 1976, he earned his doctorate from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. His special study was about "classical rhythms" in Catalan poetry. He started teaching Latin there in 1972 and became a full professor in 2009.

What He Researched

Medina's main research was about languages. He focused on the Latin language and its literature from all time periods. This included old Latin, medieval Latin, and Latin from the Renaissance. He also studied rhetoric (the art of speaking or writing well) and poetry styles. He was very interested in Roman history and ideas.

He helped teach many courses about Latin. He also led a big project to publish Latin works by the famous writer Ramon Llull. Medina wrote over 300 articles and books about Latin and Catalan languages and literature. He gave many talks about old and new literature.

Medina helped start the Catalan Society of Classical Studies in 1979. He also worked with the Fundació Bernat Metge, which publishes important classic texts. He was a helper for a big book called Historia de la literatura catalana.

He translated many works into Catalan. These translations appeared in special book series. He also worked with a German university to edit Ramon Llull's Latin books. His work was published in important collections in Belgium.

His articles appeared in many different magazines and newspapers. These included Serra d'Or, Revista de Catalunya, L'Avenç, and Estudis Romànics. He also wrote for daily newspapers like La Vanguardia, El País, and Avui.

His Creative Writing

Medina was also a talented writer himself. He was part of a group of writers from the 1970s. He helped create poetry collections like Llibres del Mall. He published his first poetry books there. His poems covered many different topics.

He also wrote reviews of books and essays. Medina even wrote a play and a novel. His translations of old and new authors were widely read and enjoyed.

Jaume Medina's Works

Poetry Books

• Temps de tempesta (1974)
• Encalçar el vent (1976)
• Dura llavor secreta (1990)
• D’ara i de sempre (2000)
• Cobles devotes (2010)

Novel

• El Perdut i el seu mirall (2016)

Literary Critiques

• Lletres d'enguany i d'antany (2003)

Essays

• Estudis de literatura catalana moderna i altres assaigs (2013)

Research Works

Latin Language Studies

Medina translated many Latin authors into Catalan. These included famous writers like Catulus, Virgil, Horace, and Ovid. He also translated later authors like Saint Augustine and Erasmus.

• La poesia latina dels Països Catalans (Segles X-XX) (1996)
• La poesia llatina de Montserrat en els segles XVI-XVII (1998)
• Raimundi Lulli Opera Latina (2005, 2009) – These are editions of Ramon Llull's Latin works.
• Sobre Ramon Llull (2013)

Classical Tradition Studies

This area of his research looked at how ideas from ancient Greece and Rome influenced Catalonia.

• De l'Edat Mitjana al Dos mil. Estudis sobre la tradició clàssica a Catalunya (2009)

Catalan Language Studies

Medina wrote many studies about important Catalan writers. These included Ramon Llull, Jacint Verdaguer, and Josep Carner. He also helped publish letters from Josep Torras i Bages and Josep Carner.

• Carles Riba (1893–1959) (1989)
• La plenitud poètica de Carles Riba (1994)
• Les dames de Josep Carner (1998)
• Carles Riba i Joan Maragall (2011)
• La lenta agonia del català (2013) – This book discussed the use of the Catalan language in media.
• El parlar d’una familia vigatana (2014)

Rhetoric Studies

Rhetoric is the art of using language effectively and persuasively.

• He translated the ancient Roman book Rhetorica ad Herennium into Catalan (2000).
• He wrote L'art de la paraula (2000). This was the first book in Catalan about rhetoric and poetry.
• He also edited Ramon Llull's Rhetorica nova.

Awards He Received

• Award for the best translation into Catalan (1982) from the Generalitat de Catalunya.
• Vth Award Fundació Congrés de Cultura Catalana (1988) for biography and historical research.
• Serra d'Or Critics Prize (1990).
• Josep Carner Award (1997) from the Institute for Catalan Studies.
• Jaume Bofill i Ferro Literary Critics Prize (1999).
• Camilo José Cela Literary Critics Prize (2010) from the Ciutat de Palma Awards.

See also

In Spanish: Jaume Medina para niños