Biography

Camilo José Cela Trulock was born on 11 May, 1916, in Iria Flavia, district of Padron, province of la Coruña.

Principal works:

Poetry: Pisando la dudosa luz del dia (1956; 1st ed. 1945).

Novels: La familia de Pascual Duarte (1942), Pabellón de reposo (1943), Nuevas andanzas y desventuras de Lazarillo de Tormes (1944), La colmena (1951), Mrs. Caldwell habla con su hijo (1952), La catira (1955), Tobogán de hambrientos (1962), San Camilo I936 (1969), Oficio de tinieblas 5 (1973), Mazurca para dos muertos (1983), Cristo versus Arizona (1988).

Novelettes: Timoteo, el incomprendido (1952), Santa Balbina, 37, gas en cada piso (1952), Café de artistas (1953), El molino de viento (1956), La familia del héroe (1965), El ciudadano Iscariote Reclús (1965).

Collections of short stories, fables, sketches, and miscellaneous writings: El gallego y su cuadrilla (1949), Nuevo retablo de Don Cristobita (1957). Los viejos amigos (1960), Gavilla de fabulas sin amor (1962), El solitario y los suerios de Quesada (1963), Toreo de salon (1963), Once cuentos de futbol (1963), Izas, rabizas y colipoterrus (1964), Nuevas escenas matritenses (seven series, 1965 and 1966), Rol de cornudos (1976).

Travel books: Viaje a la Alcarria (1948), Del Mino al Bidasoa (1952), Judios, moros y cristianos (1956), Primer viaje andaluz (1959), Viaje al Pirineo de Lérida (1965), Nuevo viaje a la Alcarria (1986).

Collections of articles: Mesa revuelta (1945),Cajón de sastre (1957), Cuatro figuras del 98 (1959), Garito de hospicianos (1963), Las companies convenientes (1963), Al servicio de algo (1969), Los sueños vanos, los ángeles curiosos (1979), Los vasos comunicantes (1981), Vuelta de hoja (1981), El juego de los tres madroños (1983), El asno de Buridán (1986).

Plays: María Sabina (1967), El carro de heno o el inventor de la guillotina (1969).

Lexicographic works: Diccionario secreto (I, 1968; II, 1971).

Collected works: Obras completas. 25 vols. (1989-1990).

Founder and director of the journal Papeles de Son Armadans (1956-1979).

Doctor honoris causa at the universities of Syracuse (New York, USA), Birmingham (Great Britain), John F. Kennedy (BuenosAires,Argentina), Palma de Mallorca, Santiago de Compostela, the Interamericana University (San Juan, Puerto Rico), and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Former professor at the University of Palma de Mallorca.

Member of the Real Academia Española.

Member of the Hispanic Society of America, the Society of Spanish and Spanish-American Studies and the Académie du Monde Latin. Honorary member of the Real Academia Gallega, the Real Academia de Buenas Letras (Barcelona), the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Sebastián (Palma de Mallorca), the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, the Cultural Institute Israel - Ibero-America, Spain and Portugal (Jerusalem), the Asociación National de Profesores y Entrenadores de Judo (Madrid), and the Asociación de la Prensa de Madrid (1979; after being expelled in 1952). Corresponding member of the Academia Porteea del lunfardo (Buenos Aires), president of the Amistad España - Israel association (Madrid), honorary president of the Cultura Latinaassociation (Paris).

Honorary postman. Honorary doctor of forensic medicine. Senator by royal appointment in the constituent assembly (1977-1978).

Favourite son of Padron. Adopted son of Palma de Mallorca, of Madrid and of Torremejia (Badajoz). Honorary citizen of the State of Texas.

Awards and honours: Premio de la Crítica, Premio National de Literatura, Gran Cruz de la Orden de Isabel la Caólica, Premio Principe de Asturias.

From Nobel Lectures, Literature 1981-1990, Editor-in-Charge Tore Frängsmyr, Editor Sture Allén, World Scientific Publishing Co., Singapore, 1993

This autobiography/biography was written at the time of the award and first published in the book series Les Prix Nobel. It was later edited and republished in Nobel Lectures. To cite this document, always state the source as shown above.

 

Camilo José Cela died on January 17, 2002.

 

Copyright © The Nobel Foundation 1989