Pere Calders facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pere Calders
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| Born | 29 September 1912 Barcelona, Spain |
| Died | 21 July 1994 (aged 81) Barcelona, Spain |
| Occupation | Writer, journalist, cartoonist |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Genre | Catalan literature, Magic realism |
| Notable works | The First Harlequin, The Glory of Doctor Larén, Chronicles of the Hidden Truth, People of the High Valley |
Pere Calders i Rossinyol (born September 29, 1912 – died July 21, 1994) was a famous Catalan writer and cartoonist. He was known for his unique way of telling stories, often mixing everyday life with a touch of magic or the unexpected.
Contents
Life and Career
Early Years and First Books
Pere Calders started to become well-known in the early 1930s. He published his drawings, articles, and stories in different newspapers and magazines. When he was just 24, he released his first books. These included a collection of stories called El primer arlequí (which means The First Harlequin). He also published a short novel titled La glòria del doctor Larén (The Glory of Doctor Larén).
Time in Mexico
During a difficult time in Spain, Pere Calders moved to Mexico. He lived there for 23 years, along with his brother-in-law, the writer Avel·lí Artís Gener. While in Mexico, he wrote some of his most important works. These included the short story collections Cròniques de la veritat oculta (Chronicles of the Hidden Truth) from 1955. Another famous collection was Gent de l'alta vall (People of the High Valley), published in 1957. He also wrote the novel Ronda naval sota la boira (Naval Patrol Through the Fog) in 1966.
Return to Catalonia and Later Success
Pere Calders returned to Catalonia in 1962. He continued to write books and work as a journalist. One of his novels, L'ombra de l'atzavara (The Shade of the Agave Plant), won the important Premi Sant Jordi de novel·la award in 1964.
Later, when democracy returned to Spain, Pere Calders became very popular. This was thanks to a successful play called Antaviana. The theater company Dagoll Dagom created this play using some of his short stories. After Antaviana became a hit, many of his books were printed again.
Awards and Recognition
Pere Calders received many honors for his writing. In 1986, he was given the Premi d'Honor de les Lletres Catalanes. This is one of the highest awards for Catalan writers. Shortly before he passed away, he also received the National Prize for Journalism in 1993.
He was also a member of the Association of Catalan-language Writers.
Notable Works
Pere Calders wrote many stories and novels. Here are some of his most well-known works:
Story Collections
- El primer arlequí (The First Harlequin) (1936)
- Cròniques de la veritat oculta (Chronicles of the Hidden Truth) (1955)
- Gent de l'alta vall (People of the High Valley) (1957)
- Invasió subtil i altres contes (Subtle Invasion and Other Stories) (1978)
- Antaviana (Antaviana) (1979), created with Dagoll Dagom
- Raspall (Brush) (1987)
Novels
- La glòria del doctor Larén (The Glory of Doctor Larén) (1936)
- L'ombra de l'atzavara (The Shade of the Agave Plant) (1964)
- Ronda naval sota la boira (Naval Patrol Through the Fog) (1966)
English Translations
Some of Pere Calders' stories have been translated into English. These include:
- Brush, translated by Louise Lewis (1982) and Marguerite Feitlowitz (1986).
- The virgin of the railway and other stories, translated by Amanda Bath (1991).
- His short story "The desert" was included in The Dedalus book of Spanish fantasy (1999).
See also
In Spanish: Pere Calders para niños
