Joseba Sarrionandia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseba Sarrionandia
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| Born | April 13, 1958 Iurreta, Basque Autonomous Community, Spain |
| Pen name | Sarri |
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| Language | Basque |
| Alma mater | University of Deusto |
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Joseba Sarrionandia Uribelarrea (born April 13, 1958, in Iurreta, Biscay) is a famous Basque writer. He has written many books, including poetry, short stories, and novels. His work has won several awards, and he is a respected writer in the Basque Country.
In the early 1980s, he was involved with a Basque group. In 1985, he escaped from prison. After his escape, he lived in secret for many years. Despite this, he continued to write and publish his books. In 2016, it was shared that he was living in Cuba. There, he worked as a lecturer at the University of Havana.
Contents
About Joseba Sarrionandia's Life
Joseba Sarrionandia studied Basque Philology at the University of Deusto in Bilbao. He earned a PhD in this subject. After finishing his studies, he started working as a Basque language teacher. He taught about sounds in language (phonetics) at different universities.
He also wrote for several magazines like Zeruko Argia and Jakin. Joseba was part of a writing group called Pott Banda. Other famous writers like Bernardo Atxaga were also in this group. He also started his own magazine called Ibaizabal. Besides writing his own stories, he translated books. One famous book he translated was The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
His Escape from Prison
In 1980, Joseba was arrested and sent to prison. He was sentenced to 22 years. His experiences in prison later became a topic in his writings. On July 7, 1985, during the San Fermin festival, he escaped from prison. He escaped with another person, Iñaki Pikabea. They hid inside a large loudspeaker during a concert held in the prison. A Basque rock band, Kortatu, even wrote a song called Sarri, Sarri about his escape.
After his escape, Joseba lived in secret for a long time. The idea of living away from home, or in exile, became a very important theme in his books. For example, in his novel Lagun Izoztua (which means The Frozen Friend in Basque), he writes about this experience. Many of his poems have been turned into songs by Basque singers like Mikel Laboa and Ruper Ordorika. There is even an audio book where you can hear his voice reading poems.
Awards and Recognition
On October 3, 2011, Joseba Sarrionandia won the Euskadi Prize for Essay in Basque. He received this award for his book Moroak gara behelaino artean? (Are we Moors in the fog?). This book explores the difficulties of colonialism. The Basque Government initially held back the prize money. This was until his legal situation was clear.
However, legal experts confirmed that he could not be charged under Spanish law. This was because more than 20 years had passed since his escape. After about a month and a half, a Spanish court confirmed that he was legally "clean." This meant he had no criminal or civil issues. The prize money was then given to his family.
In 2014, Joseba was invited to give two lectures at Mondragon University. This would have been his first public appearance since his escape in 1985. But he had to cancel the trip because he could not get the necessary travel permissions. Even though the Cuban government did not officially confirm his presence, news reports in 2015 said he visited the Spanish consulate to sort out his legal status.
Phases of His Writing
Another writer, Bernardo Atxaga, has described Joseba Sarrionandia's works in four main stages:
- First Stage: When he was young, Joseba wanted to be a part of Basque literature. He started by contributing to a literary magazine.
- Second Stage: While he was in prison, his poems often talked about suffering.
- Third Stage: After his escape, his writing focused on themes of exile and homeland. Books like Geografía and He llegado a casa casi a medianoche are from this period.
- Current Stage: This is considered his "brightest" stage. His writing is calmer, and he uses humor and irony.
Atxaga also wondered if there might be a fifth stage. This idea came from a poem where he mentions "life that has arrived," which could mean a child.
Joseba Sarrionandia's Books
- Izuen gordelekuetan barrena (1981)
- Narrazioak (1983)
- Intxaur azal baten barruan. Eguberri amarauna (1983)
- Alkohola poemak (1984)
- Ni ez naiz hemengoa (1985)
- Atabala eta euria (1986)
- Marinel zaharrak (1987)
- Marginalia (1988)
- Ez gara gure baitakoak (1989)
- Izeba Mariasunen ipuinak (1989)
- Ainhoari gutunak (1990)
- Ifar aldeko orduak (1990)
- Gartzelako poemak (1992)
- Han izanik hona naiz (1992)
- Hnuy illa nyha majah yahoo (1995)
- Miopeak, bizikletak eta beste langabetu batzuk (1995)
- Hitzen ondoeza (1997)
- Hau da nire ondasun guzia (1999) - This book is available in Basque, English, German, French, and Spanish.
- Zitroi ur komikiak: Joseba Sarrionandia komikitan (2000)
- Lagun izoztua (2001)
- XX. mendeko poesia kaierak: Joseba Sarrionandia (2002)
- Kolosala izango da (2003)
- Akordatzen (2004)
- Harrapatutako txorien hegalak (2005)
- Munduko zazpi herrialdetako ipuinak (2008)
- Gau ilunekoak (2008)
- Idazlea zeu zara, irakurtzen duzulako (2010)
- Moroak gara behelaino artean? (2010)
- Narrazio guztiak (1979–1990) (2011)
- Durangoko Azoka 1965-2015 (2015)
- Lapur banden etika ala politika (2015)
- Hilda dago poesia? ¿La poesía está muerta? (2016)
Prizes and Awards
- Ignacio Aldekoa Prize (1980)
- Resurreccion Maria Azkue Prize (1980)
- Bilbao City Council Prize (1980)
- Spanish Literature critics', Basque Narrative Prize, 1986, for Atabala eta euria (The Drum and the Rain)
- Spanish Literature critics', Basque Narrative Prize, 2001, for Lagun izoztua (The Frozen Friend)
- Euskadi Prize for Essay in Basque (2011)
See also
In Spanish: Joseba Sarrionandia para niños
