Sergio Pitol facts for kids

Sergio Pitol Deméneghi (born March 18, 1933 – died April 12, 2018) was a famous Mexican writer, translator, and diplomat. In 2005, he won the Cervantes Prize. This is the most important literary award in the Spanish-speaking world.

Early Life

Sergio Pitol was born in Puebla, Mexico. He grew up in a small town called Ingenio de Potrero in the state of Veracruz. When he was four, his mother passed away. Soon after, he got very sick with malaria and had to stay in bed until he was about 12 years old. His grandmother raised him. As a teenager, he moved to Córdoba, Veracruz.

Education and Diplomatic Work

In 1950, Sergio moved to Mexico City. He studied law and literature at the Universidad Autónoma de México (UNAM). In 1960, he joined the Mexican Foreign Service. This meant he worked for his country in other parts of the world.

He served as a cultural attaché in many cities. These included Rome, Belgrade, Warsaw, Paris, Beijing, Moscow, Prague, Budapest, and Barcelona. A cultural attaché helps share their country's culture with other nations. In the 1980s, he became an ambassador to Czechoslovakia. An ambassador is a top diplomat who represents their country.

Later Years

After 1993, Sergio Pitol lived in Xalapa, the capital city of Veracruz. He taught at the Universidad Veracruzana there. In his final years, he faced health challenges. He struggled with a condition called aphasia. This made it hard for him to write or talk. He passed away in Xalapa on April 12, 2018, at the age of 85.

Writing Career

Sergio Pitol was a talented writer. He also worked as a translator. He translated books by many famous authors. These included Jane Austen, Anton Chekhov, and Vladimir Nabokov. He also taught at the UNAM and the Universidad Veracruzana. He even taught at the University of Bristol in England.

Awards and Recognition

Sergio Pitol received many important awards for his writing. In 2005, he won the Cervantes Prize. This is one of the highest honors for Spanish-language writers.

Other major awards he received include:

• The Premio Juan Rulfo in 1999.
• The Premio Herralde de Novela in 1984 for his novel El desfile del amor.
• The Premio Xavier Villaurrutia in 1981 for his short story Nocturno de bujara.

Selected Works

Sergio Pitol wrote many different types of books. Here are some of his well-known works:

Novels

• El tañido de una flauta (1972)
• Juegos florales (1982)
• El desfile del amor (1984)
• Domar a la divina garza (1988)
• La vida conjugal (1991)

Essay-Memoirs

These books mix essays with memories from his life.

• El arte de la fuga (1996)
• El viaje (2000)
• El mago de Viena (2005)

Short-Story Collections

He also published many collections of short stories.

• Tiempo cercado (1959)
• Infierno de todos (1964)
• Los climas (1966)
• No hay tal lugar (1967)
• Del encuentro nupcial (1970)
• Nocturno de Bujara (1981)
• Vals de Mefisto (1984)
• El relato veneciano de Billie Upward (1992)
• Todos los cuentos (1998)
• El oscuro hermano gemelo y otros relatos (2004)
• Los mejores cuentos (2005)

See also

In Spanish: Sergio Pitol para niños