Álvaro Mutis
Encyclopedia
Álvaro Mutis Jaramillo is a Colombia
n poet, novelist, and essayist and author of the compendium The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll
.
from the age of two until eleven, where his father held a post as a diplomat. They would return to Colombia by ship for summer holidays. He has lived in Mexico City
since 1956.
(France, 1989), Premio Príncipe de Asturias de las Letras
(Spain, 1997), Premio Miguel de Cervantes
(Spain, 2001), and the Neustadt Prize for Literature (United States, 2002), for The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll, a volume collecting all seven novellas about Maqroll the Gaviero.
Mutis has combined his career as a writer of poetry and prose with a diverse set of non-literary occupations. Like his protagonist Maqroll, Mutis traveled widely in his professional roles including five years as Standard Oil
's public relations director and over 20 years as sales manager for Twentieth Century Fox and Columbia Pictures
in their Latin American television divisions. Latin Americans first became familiar with his voice when he did the narration for the Spanish-language television version of The Untouchables
.
The late Octavio Paz
was a champion of Mutis' early poetry. In the 1950s, Mutis spent 15 months in a Mexican prison as a consequence of his handling of money intended for charitable use by Standard Oil
. His experience in prison had a lasting influence on his life and work, and is chronicled in the book Diario de Lecumberri.
Mutis' close friend, Nobel Prize-winner Gabriel García Márquez
called him "one of the greatest writers of our time."
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Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n poet, novelist, and essayist and author of the compendium The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll
The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll
The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll is a compilation of novellas by Colombian author Álvaro Mutis...
.
Early life
Mutis was born in Colombia and lived in BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
from the age of two until eleven, where his father held a post as a diplomat. They would return to Colombia by ship for summer holidays. He has lived in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
since 1956.
Literary career
Mutis' poetry was first published in 1948 and his first short stories in 1978. His first novella featuring Maqroll, La nieve del Almirante (The Snow of the Admiral) was published in 1986 and gained him popular and critical acclaim. He has received many literary awards, including the Prix MédicisPrix Médicis
The Prix Médicis is a French literary award given each year in November. It was founded in 1958 by Gala Barbisan and Jean-Pierre Giraudoux. It is awarded to an author whose "fame does not yet match his talent."...
(France, 1989), Premio Príncipe de Asturias de las Letras
Prince of Asturias Awards
The Prince of Asturias Awards are a series of annual prizes awarded in Spain by the Prince of Asturias Foundation to individuals, entities or organizations from around the world who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, and public affairs....
(Spain, 1997), Premio Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Prize
The Miguel de Cervantes Prize , established in 1976, is awarded annually to honour the lifetime achievement of an outstanding writer in the Spanish language. The prize is similar to the Booker Prize, with its candidates from Commonwealth countries, in that it rewards authors from any...
(Spain, 2001), and the Neustadt Prize for Literature (United States, 2002), for The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll, a volume collecting all seven novellas about Maqroll the Gaviero.
Mutis has combined his career as a writer of poetry and prose with a diverse set of non-literary occupations. Like his protagonist Maqroll, Mutis traveled widely in his professional roles including five years as Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
's public relations director and over 20 years as sales manager for Twentieth Century Fox and Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
in their Latin American television divisions. Latin Americans first became familiar with his voice when he did the narration for the Spanish-language television version of The Untouchables
The Untouchables (1959 TV series)
The Untouchables is an American crime drama that ran from 1959 to 1963 on ABC. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized the experiences of Eliot Ness, a real-life Prohibition agent, as he fought crime in Chicago during the 1930s with the help of a...
.
The late Octavio Paz
Octavio Paz
Octavio Paz Lozano was a Mexican writer, poet, and diplomat, and the winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature.-Early life and writings:...
was a champion of Mutis' early poetry. In the 1950s, Mutis spent 15 months in a Mexican prison as a consequence of his handling of money intended for charitable use by Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
. His experience in prison had a lasting influence on his life and work, and is chronicled in the book Diario de Lecumberri.
Critical reception
Mutis' works are most widely read in Latin America and Europe. He is best known for his novellas featuring Maqroll el Gaviero (Maqroll the Lookout), a wandering sailor and adventurer.Mutis' close friend, Nobel Prize-winner Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez is a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo throughout Latin America. He is considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in...
called him "one of the greatest writers of our time."
External links
- Official Page
- BOMB Magazine: Álvaro Mutis Interview by Francisco GoldmanFrancisco GoldmanFrancisco Goldman is an American novelist, journalist, and Allen K. Smith Professor of Literature and Creative Writing, Trinity College. He is workshop director at , the journalism school for Latin-America created by Gabriel García Márquez...
- English translation of the poem Tequila from AGNI
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