Daniel Chavarría (23 November 1933 – 6 April 2018) was a

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

an revolutionary, writer and translator, who lived in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

since the 1960s. He had a son with Dora Salazar, Daniel Chavarria, and raised his sister.

Life and works

Daniel Chavarría was born in

San José de Mayo San José de Mayo () is the capital city of the San José Department in southern Uruguay. Location and geography The city is located at the centre of the state, on the intersection of Route 3 (Uruguay), Route 3 with Route 11 (Uruguay), Route 11, ...

, Uruguay. In 1964, while Chavarría was living in Brazil, there was a military coup and he fled to work amongst the gold seekers in the

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...

. Later on, he fled to Cuba. There he began working as a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

and

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

translator and teacher. Subsequently he began his career as a writer. Daniel Chavarría defined himself as a

an citizen and a

n writer. Chavarría’s style of writing is within the Latin American tradition of political writers, such as

Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one ...

. He mentioned that as a child, he read Jules Verne,

Emilio Salgari Emilio Salgari (, but often erroneously ; 21 August 1862 – 25 April 1911) was an Italian writer of action adventure swashbucklers and a pioneer of science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of spe ...

and Alexandre Dumas, and their influence can be detected in his writing. For example, in ''Tango for a Torturer'', the influence of '' The Count of Monte Cristo'' is clear. Chavarría’s life and writings clearly show his communist and revolutionary background. He was a well known supporter of the

Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution ( es, Revolución Cubana) was carried out after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état which placed Fulgencio Batista as head of state and the failed mass strike in opposition that followed. After failing to contest Batista in co ...

. In 2010, Chavarría won Cuba's National Prize for Literature. Chavarría died in Havana on 6 April 2018, aged 84.

Bibliography

* 1978 ''Joy'' * 1984 ''The 6th Island'' * 1991 ''Allá Ellos'' * 1993 ''The Eye of Cybele'' * 1994 ''Adiós muchachos'' * 1999 ''That Year in Madrid'' * 2001 ''Tango for a Torturer'' * 2001 ''El rojo en la pluma del loro'' * 2004 ''Viudas de sangre'' * 2005 ''Príapos'' * 2006 ''Una pica en Flandes''

Awards

Joy: * Aniversario de la Revolución, La Habana, 1975. * Capitán San Luis, 1978. The 6th island: * Premio de la Crítica, La Habana. Allá ellos: * Dashiell Hammett Award, Gijón, 1992. The Eye of Cybele: * Planeta-Joaquín Mortiz, México, 1993. * Educación y Cultura, Montevideo, 1994. * Ennio Flaiano, Pescara, 1998. * Premio de la Crítica, La Habana. Adiós Muchachos: *

Edgar Allan Poe Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

- Best Paperback Original, New York, 2002 Tango for a Torturer: *

Casa de las Américas Prize The Casa de las Américas Prize (''Premio Literario Casa de las Américas'') is a literary award given by the Cuban Casa de las Américas. Established in 1959, it is one of Latin America’s oldest and most prestigious literary prizes. The award ...

, La Habana, 2000. * Premio de la Crítica, La Habana. Viudas de sangre: * Premio Alejo Carpentier, La Habana, 2004. Other * National Prize for Literature, 2010

References

External links

Perché ho deciso di vivere a Cuba
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chavarria, Daniel 1933 births 2018 deaths Cuban communists Uruguayan communists People from San José de Mayo Uruguayan expatriates in Cuba Uruguayan people of Basque descent Uruguayan autobiographers Uruguayan translators