Josep Pla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Josep Pla i Casadevall
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Pla in 1917
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| Born | Josep Pla i Casadevall 8 March 1897 Palafrugell, Catalonia, Spain |
| Died | 23 April 1981 (aged 84) Llofriu, Catalonia, Spain |
| Occupation | Journalist and writer |
| Language | Catalan and Spanish |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Alma mater | University of Barcelona |
| Notable works | Life Embitters |
| Notable awards |
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Josep Pla i Casadevall (born March 8, 1897 – died April 23, 1981) was a famous Spanish journalist and writer. He traveled a lot for his job, visiting countries like France, Italy, England, Germany, and Russia. From these places, he wrote interesting stories and reports about politics and culture in both Catalan and Spanish languages.
Contents
Who Was Josep Pla?
Early Life and Education
Josep Pla grew up in a small town called Palafrugell in Catalonia, Spain. His parents were business owners, but they didn't have a lot of money. In 1909, he went to high school in Girona as a boarding student. He was even expelled in his last year but still managed to pass his final exams!
In 1913, he started studying science at the University of Barcelona. He first tried medicine but quickly changed to law. Even though university life felt a bit empty to him, he found a place where he could learn and discuss ideas: the Barcelona Ateneu Club. Here, he met famous writers and thinkers. He especially admired Pío Baroja and learned a lot from his friend and teacher, Alexandre Plana. These influences taught him to write in a clear, simple, and easy-to-understand way. This became a key part of his writing style.
Starting as a Journalist
After finishing his law degree in 1919, Josep Pla started working as a journalist. He wrote for newspapers like Las Noticias and La Publicidad. Soon, he became a correspondent, meaning he reported from different cities in Europe like Paris, Madrid, and Berlin.
In 1921, he was chosen as a Member of Parliament for his home region, Baix Empordà. He was part of a group called the Lliga Regionalista, which supported Catalan nationalism.
Life During Difficult Times
Life became challenging in Spain. In 1924, during the dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera, Josep Pla was forced to leave the country. This happened because he wrote an article that criticized the Spanish military.
During his time away, he met other Catalans who were also against the dictatorship. He kept traveling through Europe, visiting Paris, Russia, and England. In 1925, he published his first book, Coses Vistes (Things Seen). It was very popular and sold out quickly. This book showed his writing style: "to write about the things which one has seen."
In 1927, he returned to Spain. He started working for La Veu de Catalunya, a newspaper that supported moderate Catalan nationalism. He often attended discussions led by Francesc Cambó, a leader of this group.
When the Republic of Spain was declared in April 1931, Pla was in Madrid. He wrote about these important events in his book El advenimiento de la República (The Coming of the Republic). He stayed in Madrid for most of the Republican period, writing about Parliament and meeting many important Spanish politicians and cultural figures. At first, he liked the idea of the Republic, hoping it would modernize Spain. However, he slowly became disappointed, seeing it as "a frantic and destructive madness."
Before the Spanish Civil War began, he left Madrid. In September 1938, he traveled by boat from Catalonia to Marseille. He then went to Rome, where he wrote a large book called Historia de la Segunda República Española (History of the Second Spanish Republic). This book was very important for understanding history, but Pla chose not to publish it during his lifetime.
In January 1939, after the war ended, he entered Barcelona with the winning troops. For a short time, he worked as an assistant manager for the newspaper La Vanguardia. However, he soon decided to move back to his home region of Empordà in Girona.
Returning Home and Later Travels
In September 1939, Josep Pla started writing for Destino, a weekly magazine. He wrote for them almost every week from February 1940. During these years, he explored his home region, discovering its beautiful landscapes, small towns, and the sea. He decided to stay in Empordà and never lived in Barcelona again.
Even though he was no longer a main leader at Destino, his work there allowed him to travel the world again. He visited France, Israel, Cuba, New York, the Middle East, South America, and Russia. For example, he visited Israel in 1957 and wrote about its early years as a new country. He liked to travel on slow oil tankers, which gave him peace and quiet to write without distractions.
His Later Years and Recognition
In the 1970s, Pla focused on putting together his complete works. This wasn't just collecting his old writings; he rewrote many of them to perfect his unique style. He had great help from his editor, Josep Vergés. During this time, writing in the Catalan language slowly became more accepted again.
After the Franco dictatorship ended in 1978, Josep Pla was the most-read writer in Catalan. However, some other Catalan authors didn't like him because he had supported the Francoists during the Civil War and lived peacefully under the regime. They also criticized him for not writing much fiction.
Despite this, in 1980, near the end of his life, Josep Tarradellas, a leader of Catalonia, gave him the Medalla d'Or de la Generalitat de Catalunya (The Gold Medal of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia). This was a big honor.
Josep Pla passed away in 1981 in his home region of Empordà. He left behind 38 published volumes of his Obra Completa (Complete Works), which is over 25,000 pages! Many more of his writings have been published since his death.
What Made His Writing Special?
His Unique Style
Josep Pla lived under strict censorship for much of his life. This meant that what he wrote was often checked and controlled by the government. Although he briefly supported the dictatorship at first, he quickly became critical of it, especially because it was hard to publish in Catalan. He hated how the government looked down on Catalan language and culture.
Pla's writing style was known for being simple, clear, and often funny (ironic). He didn't like fancy words or empty talk. He always aimed for "clear, precise, and restrained writing." He wasn't very interested in writing made-up stories (fiction). Instead, he focused on describing real life and what he saw. He was very good at noticing small details and showing what society was like in his time.
His books often shared his own personal views. He believed that life could be messy, unfair, and confusing. He thought that trying to make everyone equal or starting revolutions often caused more problems than they solved. He was a thoughtful person who enjoyed putting the world down on paper. He disliked silly things, showing off, and "people who talk just to hear themselves." He once wrote, "It is more difficult to write than to think, much more difficult: so everyone thinks."
What Did He Write?
Josep Pla dedicated his entire life to writing. His Obres Completes (Complete Works) has 46 volumes and almost 30,000 pages! This huge collection includes his journals, reports, articles, essays, biographies, and even some poems. Many of these pages were rewritten from his earlier works or from weekly articles he published for nearly 40 years.
It's hard to put his works into simple categories because he often mixed different styles. But here are some of the types of books he wrote:
- Narratives: These are stories, like Coses vistes (1925), Linterna mágica (1926), and Relaciones (1927). Later narratives include Life Embitters (La vida amarga), El carrer estret (1952), and Aigua de mar.
- Books of Notable Events and Memories: In these books, Pla combined different styles like personal diaries, descriptions, stories, and his own thoughts. El quadern gris (The Gray Notebook) is a famous example. It's about the countryside of Empordà, daily life, and the author's passion for writing.
- Essays about People and Culture: These include books like El payés y su mundo (1990) and Les hores (1953).
- Biographies: He wrote about the lives of famous people, such as Vida de Manolo (1928), Santiago Rusiñol y su tiempo (1955), and Francesc Cambó (1928–1930). Other biographical works are Homenots, Retrats de passaport, and Tres senyors.
- Travel Writing: Pla wrote many books about his travels, including Les illes (The Islands), Viatge a la Catalunya Vella (Journey to Old Catalonia), Itàlia i el Mediterrani (Italy and the Mediterranean), Les Amèriques (The Americas), Sobre París i França (About Paris and France), Cartas de lejos (Letters from Afar), and Israel, 1957 (1957).
- Political Writing: He also wrote about politics, like Madrid. El advenimiento de la República (1933) and his Crónicas parlamentarias (Parliamentary Chronicles) from 1933-1936.
Because of censorship during the early years of the Franco regime, some of his works were published in Spanish. These include Guía de la Costa Brava (1941) and Viaje en autobús (1942), which is considered one of his best works. In 1947, when censorship eased, he started publishing in Catalan again, with books like Cadaqués.
In 1966, the publication of his Complete Works began with El quadern gris. This book, originally written when he was young but later rewritten, was a huge success. It helped people see Pla not just as a journalist but as one of the best writers of modern Catalan literature.
Even though he didn't write plays, his life and work have inspired plays after his death. For example, Ara que els ametllers ja estan batuts (Now that the almond trees have been knocked down) in 1990, and La increíble historia del Dr. Floït & Mr. Pla (1997).
Legacy and Awards
Josep Pla's ideas, which were sensible and often full of humor, are still important today. His books are still being printed, and both Spanish and Catalan critics agree that he was one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.
Since 1968, the Josep Pla Award has been given in his honor to new works written and published in Catalan.
See also
In Spanish: Josep Pla para niños
