Olga Xirinacs Díaz Facts for Kids

Olga Xirinacs Díaz

Olga Xirinacs Díaz, born in 1936, is a talented writer and piano teacher from Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. She still lives and works in her hometown. Throughout her career, she has written many different types of books, including poetry, plays, short stories, and essays.

Olga Xirinacs often writes for newspapers like La Vanguardia and Avui. She has also taught creative writing courses at places like the Aula de Lletres and Barcelona's Pompeu Fabra University.

Many of her books have won important awards in Catalan literature. These include the Sant Jordi Prize, the Sant Joan Prize, the Josep Pla Prize, the Ramon Llull Prize, and the Carles Riba Prize.

She has published over 300 stories, with about 50 of them written especially for children. She is one of the few women to be named "Mestra en Gai Saber" (Master in the Art of Poetry) at the Jocs Florals, which is a famous literary contest. In 1990, the Generalitat de Catalunya honored her with the Creu de Sant Jordi, a very special award. She is also a member of the Association of Catalan-Language Writers.

Her Books and Stories
Works Translated into Other Languages
- Spanish Translations
- Other Languages
See also

Her Books and Stories

Olga Xirinacs has written many books for different age groups. Here are some of her most well-known works.

Stories and Novels for Older Readers

Música de cambra (Chamber music) (1982)
Interior amb difunts (1983) – This book won the Josep Pla Prize in 1982.
La mostela africana i altres contes (The African weasel and other tales) (1985)
Al meu cap una llosa (On my Head, a Tombstone) (1985) – This book won the Sant Jordi Prize in 1984 and the Serra d'Or Critics Prize.
Zona marítima (Maritime Area) (1986) – This book won the Ramon Llull Novel Award in 1986.
Relats de mort i altres matèries (1988)
Mar de fons (Deep sea) (1988)
Tempesta d'hivern (Winter storm) (1990)
Enterraments lleugers (1991) – This book won the Sant Joan Prize in 1990.
Cerimònia privada (Private ceremony) (1993)
Josep Sala (1993)
Sense malícia (Without wickedness) (1993) – This book won the City of Palma Novel Prize in 1993.
Sucant el melindro (Dipping the sponge biscuit) (1996)
La Via Augusta. Vint pobles fan el Tarragonès. De Llevant a Ponent (August Way. Twenty villages that make Tarragones. From West to East) (1997)
Viatge d’aigua. Un passeig per la Costa Daurada (Water travel. A walk through Costa Daurada) (1999)
La tarda a Venècia (An afternoon in Venice) (1999)
L’home que mossegava les dones (The man who bit women) (2000)
Pavana per un tauró (Mourning music for a Shark) (2001)
No jugueu al cementiri (Do not play in the cemetery) (2002) – This book won the Thriller Prize in 2001.
Setmana de difunts (2003)
El viatge. Dietari 1986-1990 (The voyage: Diary 1986-1990) (2004)
El hijo del tejedor (The weaver's son) (2006) – This book is in Spanish.
Trens (Trains) (2006)

Poetry Collections

Botons de tiges grises (Buttons from grey items) (1977)
Clau de blau (Tarraconis vrit amor) (The Blue Key) (1978)
Llençol de noces (Wedding bedsheet) (1979)
Tramada (Plotted) (1980) – A collection with the group Espiadimonis.
Preparo el te sota palmeres roges (I prepare the tea under red palm trees) (1981) – This book won the Caravel·la Prize in 1980.
Versifonies (Versymphonies) (1987) – Another collection with the group Espiadimonis.
Llavis que dansen (Lips that dance) (1987)
La pluja sobre els palaus (The rain over the palaces) (1990)
La muralla (The wall) (1993)
Mansardes (Mansards) (1997) – A collection with the group Espiadimonis.
Grills de mandarina (Mandarin orange segments) (2004)
El sol a les vinyes (The Sun in the vineyards. Il vangelo, Pasolini in memoriam) (2005) – This is a bilingual edition.
Eterna (Eternal) (2006) – This is a bilingual edition in Catalan and Spanish.

Books for Young Readers

Marina (1986) – Illustrated by Asun Balzola.
Patates fregides (Fried potatoes) (1994) – Illustrated by Carme Solé.
Sóc un arbre (I’m a tree) (1994) – Illustrated by Asun Balzola.
El far del capità (The captain’s lighthouse) (1994) – Illustrated by Carme Solé.
Xocolata (Chocolate) (1994)
El meu pare és capità (My father is a captain) (1995) – Illustrated by Gemma Sales.
Final d’estiu (Summer’s end) (1996)
Wendy torna a volar (Wendy flies again) (1996)
El vol de Dràcula (Dracula’s fly) (1996) – Illustrated by Francesc Infante.
Mòmies (Mummies) (1996)
Triangles mortals o la sala dels difunts (Mortal triangles or the room of the departed) (1998) – Illustrated by Mercè Canals.
Marina / Cavall de mar (Marina/Seahorse) (1998) – Illustrated by Asun Balzola.
La núvia adormida (The sleeping bride) (1998)
La Vaca Xoriça (Xoriça Cow) (1998) – Illustrated by Laia Soler.
L’escrivent de làpides (The tombstone court clerk) (2002)

Works Translated into Other Languages

Olga Xirinacs's works have been translated so more people can enjoy them.

Spanish Translations

Zona marítima (Maritime zone) (1987) – Translated by Sara Pujol.
El faro del capitán (The captain’s lighthouse) (1994) – Translated by Olga Xirinacs herself.
Fin de verano (Summer’s end) (1996) – Translated by Olga Xirinacs herself.
El vuelo de drácula (Dracula’s fly) (1996) – Translated by Olga Xirinacs herself.
El árbol de mi patio (The tree from my courtyard) (1996) – With drawings by Asun Balzola, translated by Olga Xirinacs herself.
Marina y Caballito de mar (Marina and Sea horse) (1998) – Translated by Olga Xirinacs herself.
La novia dormida (The Asleep bride) (1998) – Translated by Olga Xirinacs herself.
El escribiente de lápidas (The tombstone court clerk) (2002) – Translated by Pau Joan Hernàndez.

Other Languages

Many of her stories have been translated into German, Basque, and Russian.

Her poetry collection Lips that dance was translated into English by Hillary J Gardner at Washington University.
Some of her poems have been translated into French and published in magazines in France and Canada.
Jardines sobre el mar (Gardens over the sea) is a bilingual poetry collection translated into Russian by Elena Zernova at Sant Petersburg University in 2003.

Olga Xirinacs Díaz facts for kids

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