Álvaro Cunqueiro
Encyclopedia
Álvaro Cunqueiro Mora was an Galician
writer. He is the author of many works in both Galician
and Spanish
, including Merlín e familia ("Merlin and family"). He was a cofounder of the Galician Writers Association
.
to follow his bachelor's degree, and then moved to Santiago de Compostela
, where he studied philosophy
and literature
at the University of Santiago de Compostela
in 1927. He started publishing in 1929 by collaborating on some magazines.
During the Spanish Second Republic, he became a militant of Partido Galeguista
and after the Spanish Civil War
, hid in Ortigueira
, where he worked as a teacher.
In 1937 he returned to publishing and in 1939 he moved to Madrid
as the editor of the newspaper Diario ABC
. In 1943 he left Falange
and in 1944 his journalism certificate was revoked by Franco
's regime. In 1946 he returned to Galicia and wrote for Galician newspapers.
Galician people
The Galicians are an ethnic group, a nationality whose historical homeland is Galicia in north-western Spain. Most Galicians are bilingual, speaking both their historic language, Galician, and Castilian Spanish.-Political and administrative divisions:...
writer. He is the author of many works in both Galician
Galician language
Galician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is co-official with Castilian Spanish, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León.Modern Galician and...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, including Merlín e familia ("Merlin and family"). He was a cofounder of the Galician Writers Association
Galician Writers Association
Galician Writers Association is an official entity of the autonomous region of Galicia's Xunta . The organization is formed by writers in galician language. It was founded in by a group of writers: Álvaro Cunqueiro, Rafael Dieste, Ánxel Fole, Ricardo Carballo Calero, Antón Avilés de Taramancos,...
.
Life
Cunqueiro was born to Joaquín Cunqueiro Montenegro, a pharmacist, and Pepita Mora Moirón of Mondoñedo (where he was infamous for his practice of stealing coats at parties). In 1921, he moved to LugoLugo
Lugo is a city in northwestern Spain, in the autonomous community of Galicia. It is the capital of the province of Lugo. The municipality had a population of 97,635 in 2010, which makes is the fourth most populated city in Galicia.-Population:...
to follow his bachelor's degree, and then moved to Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
, where he studied philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
at the University of Santiago de Compostela
University of Santiago de Compostela
The Royal University of Santiago de Compostela - USC is a public university located in the city of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. A second campus is located in Lugo, Galicia....
in 1927. He started publishing in 1929 by collaborating on some magazines.
During the Spanish Second Republic, he became a militant of Partido Galeguista
Partido Galeguista (1931)
The Partido Galeguista was a Galician nationalist party founded in December 1931. It achieved notoriety during the time of the Spanish Second Republic...
and after the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, hid in Ortigueira
Ortigueira
Ortigueira is a seaport and municipality in the Province of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain; it is located on the northern slope of the Serra da Faladoira, the river Mera and on the eastern shore of the Ria de Santa Marta—a winding, rock-bound and much indented inlet of the Bay of Biscay, between Capes...
, where he worked as a teacher.
In 1937 he returned to publishing and in 1939 he moved to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
as the editor of the newspaper Diario ABC
Diario ABC
ABC is a Spanish national daily newspaper founded in Madrid on January 1, 1903, by Torcuato Luca de Tena y Alvarez-Ossorio. ABC started as a weekly newspaper until it turned daily in June 1905. Today, ABC is the third largest general-interest newspaper in Spain, and the oldest newspaper still...
. In 1943 he left Falange
Falange
The Spanish Phalanx of the Assemblies of the National Syndicalist Offensive , known simply as the Falange, is the name assigned to several political movements and parties dating from the 1930s, most particularly the original fascist movement in Spain. The word means phalanx formation in Spanish....
and in 1944 his journalism certificate was revoked by Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
's regime. In 1946 he returned to Galicia and wrote for Galician newspapers.
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
- Spanish Critic Prize (1958)
- Valle-Inclán Prize in Galician Theatre (1960)
- Premio NadalPremio NadalPremio Nadal is a Spanish literary prize awarded annually by the publishing house Ediciones Destino, part of Planeta. It has been awarded every year on January 6 since 1944...
(1968) - Gil Vicente Prize (1973)
- Día das Letras GalegasDía das Letras GalegasGalician Literature Day is a public holiday observed in Galicia, Spain. Introduced by the Royal Galician Academy in 1963 it is a celebration of the Galician language and its literature. This celebration has taken place on May 17 since 1963...
(1991)