Camilo José Cela – 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 later published in the book series Les Prix Nobel/Nobel Lectures. The information is sometimes updated with an addendum submitted by the Laureate. To cite this document, always state the source as shown above.