Álvaro Cunqueiro facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Álvaro Cunqueiro
Cunqueiro
Born	Álvaro Cunqueiro Mora (1911-12-22)December 22, 1911 Mondoñedo, Galicia, Spain
Died	February 28, 1981(1981-02-28) (aged 69) Vigo, Galicia, Spain
Occupation	Novelist poet journalist playwright
Language	Galician Spanish
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Álvaro Cunqueiro Mora (born December 22, 1911, in Mondoñedo – died February 28, 1981, in Vigo) was a famous writer from Galicia, Spain. He wrote many books, poems, plays, and newspaper articles. Cunqueiro wrote in both the Galician and Spanish languages. One of his most well-known books is Merlín e familia (which means "Merlin and family"). He also helped start the Galician Writers Association. In 1991, a special day called Galician Literature Day was held to celebrate his work.

Álvaro Cunqueiro's Early Life

Álvaro Cunqueiro was born in Mondoñedo. His father, Joaquín Cunqueiro Montenegro, was a pharmacist. His mother was Pepita Mora Moirón. Álvaro went to secondary school in Lugo. There, he became friends with other writers like Evaristo Correa Calderón and Ánxel Fole.

University and Journalism Career

In 1927, Cunqueiro started studying at the University of Santiago de Compostela. He studied Philosophy and Literature. However, he soon left his studies to become a journalist. He wrote for many newspapers and magazines, including El Pueblo Gallego.

While in Santiago, he often went to literary meetings. He met many friends who were also writers and artists. He helped create magazines like Papel de Color and Galiza. He even edited the first issue of Galiza.

Cunqueiro was also a founding member of the Galicianist Party. This party worked to promote Galician culture and language.

Life During the Spanish Civil War

In July 1936, a military uprising happened in Spain. This led to the Spanish Civil War. Cunqueiro was in Mondoñedo at the time. Because his family had important connections, he was not harmed. He found work as a teacher in a private school in Ortigueira.

He also worked for a political group called the Falange. He wrote for their local newspaper, Era Azul. Later, he moved to Vigo to write for El Pueblo Gallego. He even taught Portuguese for a short time in Vigo.

Moving to San Sebastián and Madrid

In 1938, Cunqueiro moved to San Sebastián. He wrote for a newspaper called La Voz de España. He also worked for a publication called Vértice. Here, he published his first story in Spanish, "The Story of the Knight Rafael."

After the war, Cunqueiro moved to Madrid. He started writing for the famous newspaper ABC.

Returning to Galicia

In 1947, he went back to Mondoñedo. He began to move away from the government's ideas at the time. In 1950, he published a book in Galician called Dona de corpo delgado.

From 1960, he became the official historian for Mondoñedo. The next year, he moved back to Vigo. He got a steady job writing for the newspaper Faro de Vigo.

In 1961, the Royal Galician Academy chose him as a member. This is a very important honor for writers in Galicia. From 1964 to 1970, Cunqueiro was the director of Faro de Vigo.

Álvaro Cunqueiro's Literary Work

Álvaro Cunqueiro was a very talented writer. He wrote many different types of works. These included newspaper articles, poems, stories, and plays. He also worked as a translator.

Poetry and Narrative Styles

When he was young, Cunqueiro mainly wrote poetry. His early poems were in modern styles. He wrote poems that sounded like old medieval songs. Some of his poetry collections are Mar ao norde (1932) and Poemas do si e do non (1933).

In the 1940s and 1950s, he started writing more stories and newspaper articles. He published three important novels:

• Merlín e familia e outras historias ("Merlin and family and other stories")
• As crónicas do sochantre ("The choirmaster's chronicles")
• Se o vello Simbad volvese ás illas ("If old Sinbad returned to the islands")

He also wrote three books of short stories:

• Xente de aquí e de acolá ("People from here and there")
• Escola de menciñeiros ("School of healers")
• Os outros feirantes ("The other fairgoers")

Os outros feirantes was even made into a TV series. Cunqueiro wrote many articles for newspapers like Vallibria, La Voz de Galicia, El Progreso, and Faro de Vigo.

Awards and Legacy

Cunqueiro won several important awards for his writing.

• In 1959, he received the Premio de la Crítica Española for Las crónicas del sochantre. This was a Spanish translation of his Galician book.
• In 1968, he won the Premio Nadal for Un hombre que se parecía a Orestes.
• In 1979, he received the Premio Frol da Auga for Herba de aquí e acolá.
• He also won the Premio Conde de Godó for his work as a journalist.

In 1981, he was made an honorary member of the Galician Writers Association.

Cunqueiro is famous for saying, Mil primaveras máis para a lingua galega ("A thousand more springs for the Galician language"). This inspiring phrase is now on his grave. It says: Eiqui xaz alguén, que coa súa obra, fixo que Galicia durase mil primaveras máis ("Here lies someone who, with his work, made Galicia last a thousand more springs"). Another message on his grave reads: Loubado seña Deus que me permitiu facerme home neste grande Reino que chamamos Galicia ("Praised be God who allowed me to become a man in this great Kingdom we call Galicia").

List of Works

Galician language

Poetry

• Mar ao Norde (1932)
• Poemas do si e non (1933)
• Cantiga nova que se chama Riveira (1933)
• Dona do corpo delgado (1950)
• Palabras de víspera (1974)

Prose

• Merlín e familia (1955)
• Crónicas do sochantre (1956)
• O incerto señor Don Hamlet, Principe de Dinamarca (1958)
• Escola de Menciñeiros (1960)
• Si o vello Sinbad volvese ás illas (1961)
• A noite vai coma un río (1965)
• Xente de aquí e de acolá (1971)
• Os outros feirantes (1979)

Spanish language

• Elegías y canciones (1940)
• Balada de las damas del tiempo pasado (1945)
• Crónica de la derrota de las naciones (1954)
• Las mocedades de Ulises (1960)
• Flores del año mil y pico de ave (1968)
• Un hombre que se parecía a Orestes (1969)
• Vida y fugas de Fanto Fantini della Gherardesca (1972)
• El año del cometa con la batalla de los cuatros reyes (1974)
• Tertulia de boticas prodigiosas y Escuela de curanderos (1976)

Awards

• Premio de la Crítica Española (1958)
• Valle-Inclán Prize in Galician Theatre (1960)
• Premio Nadal (1968)
• Gil Vicente Prize (1973)
• Premio Frol da Auga (1979)
• Día das Letras Galegas (1991)

See Also

In Spanish: Álvaro Cunqueiro para niños