Emili Teixidor

Emili Teixidor i Viladecàs (22 December 1932 – 19 June 2012) was a Catalan writer, journalist and pedagogue. He wrote over thirty novels, mainly for children and teenagers, but he is perhaps best known for his acclaimed adult novel, ''Black Bread'' (Catalan: ''Pa negre''), which inspired a film of the same name.

Biography

Emili Teixidor was born on 22 December 1932 in the town of Roda de Ter in the Osona region of Catalonia. His mother, Filomena Viladecàs i Planas, was a worker in the local textile factory, and his father, Jaume Teixidó i Corominas, drove a bus. The family’s history was marked by the Spanish Civil War and the subsequent repression. Following the Francoist victory and the defeat of the Spanish Republic, Teixidor’s father was imprisoned by the fascists. Unlike so many other Catalans who opposed Franco, he was fortunate to be released from prison. An uncle, Josep Teixidor, rather than risk imprisonment or execution, fled to exile in Mexico.

Education

Emili Teixidor attended the local school, which had mixed age groups, and he began a lifelong friendship with Miquel Martí i Pol, who was four years older. However, unlike Martí i Pol, who had to leave school at the age of 12 in order to work in a textile factory, Teixidor was able to continue his education. After his father’s death in 1948, he was granted a scholarship and he moved to Barcelona, where he studied to be a teacher and then took a degree in law, to be followed by another in philosophy and literature, and finally one in journalism.

Teaching

After gaining his diploma in teaching training, he returned to the Osona as a teacher. However, in 1958 he cofounded the educationally progressive school
Patmos
in Barcelona. He was to be its head teacher until 1975.

Writing

Emili Teixidor began writing for young people in the late 1960’s in the belief that there was a need for novels which did not express the ideology of the Franco regime and the Catholic church and moreover were also written in Catalan. His historical novel The Firebird (Catalan: ''L’ocell de foc''), published in 1972, was to become a popular classic. His first book for adults was a short story collection, ''Sic transit Glòria Swanson'' in 1979.

Journalism

Teixidor edited a French film magazine in Paris from 1976 to 1977. He then returned to the post-Franco Barcelona, where he worked as a newspaper columnist and television and radi
scriptwriter

Death

Teixidor died of cancer in Barcelona at the age of 78 i
2012

Bibliography and awards

* 1967 ''El soldat plantat'' (The Abandoned Soldier), young adult and teen novel.
* 1967 ''Les rates malaltes'' (The Sick Rats), young adult and teen novel, Joaquim Ruyra Award.
* 1969 ''Dídac, Berta i la màquina de lligar boira'' (Didac, Berta and the Machine to Tie up Fog), children’s novel. Translated into Spanish.
* 1972 ''L’ocell de foc'' (The Firebird), young adult and teen novel. 1993: translated into Spanish.
* 1977 ''Sempre em dic Pere'' (My Name is always Peter), children’s novel. 1997: translated into Spanish.
* 1979 ''Sic transit Glòria Swanson'', short stories, ''Premi de la Crítica Serra d’Or'' (The Serra d’Or Critics’ Award). 1983: translated into Spanish.
* 1980 ''El Príncep Alí'' (Prince Ali), young adult and teen novel, ''Premi de Literatura de la Generalitat de Catalunya'' (The Generalitat of Catalonia’s Literary Award). 1997: translated into Spanish.
* 1983 ''Frederic, Frederic, Frederic'', young adult and teen novel. 1991: translated into Spanish.
* 1986 First volume in the series of stories about Ranquet,  ''En Ranquet i el tresor'' (Ranquet and the Treasure), children’s novel. 1987: translated into Spanish; 1991: translated into French, finalist in the Europe Award in Poitiers; 1989: Mention of Honour in the Pier Paolo Vergiero Award from the University of Padua.
* 1986 ''Cada tigre té una jungla'' (Every Tiger has a jungle), children’s novel. 1989: translated into Spanish.
* 1988 The first volume of the series of cases investigated by Inspector Garrofa, ''El crim de la Hipotenusa'' (The Crime of the Hypotenuse), children’s novel. 1989: translated into Spanish; 1995: translated into Italian.
* 1988 ''Retrat d’un assassí d’ocells'' (Portrait of a Bird Killer), novel. 1989: translated into Spanish.
* 1990 ''Premi Atlàntida de la Nit de l’Edició'' (Publisher’s Night Atlantis Award) for the best presenter or director of an audiovisual programme in Catalan for ''Mil paraules'' (A Thousand Words) from 1990 to 1994.
* 1990 ''Creu de Sant Jordi'' (Cross of Saint George Award) by the Catalan Government.
* 1992 ''Les Ales de la Nit'' (The Wings of Night), young adult and teen novel. Translated into Portuguese.
* 1994 ''Cor de roure'' (Heart of Oak), young adult and teen novel, ''Premi de la Crítica Serra d’Or'' (The Serra d’Or Critics’ Award). 1995: translated into Spanish.
* 1996 ''L’amiga més amiga de la formiga Piga'' (Piga the Ant’s Very Best Friend), the first volume in this series of children’s stories. Spanish Ministry of Culture Award, honours diploma, awarded the gold medal and international selection by the IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People). Selected by the Spanish IBBY as candidate for the International Andersen Award.
* 2000 ''El llibre de les mosques'' (The Book of Flies), novel, ''Premi Sant Jordi'' (Saint George’s Award).
* 2001 ''Amics de mort'' (Deadly Friends), young adult and teen novel. 2003: translated into Spanish.
* 2003 ''Pa negre'' (Black Bread), novel, ''Premis de la crítica Joan Crexells, Lletra d’Or, Maria Àngels Anglada i Nacional de Literatura'' (The Joan Crexells Critics’ Award, The Gold Letter, The Maria Àngels Anglada and The National Literature Awards). 2004: translated into Spanish; 2008: translated into Greek. 2016: translated into English
* 2003 ''En Ring 1-2-3 i el món nou'' (Ring 1-2-3 and the New World), first volume of this series of children’s stories, Apel· Mestres Award. Translated into Spanish.
* 2003 ''La rosa, la roca i el llop'' (The Rose, the Rock and the Wolf), young adult and teen novel.
* 2005 ''Quina gana que tinc!'' (How Hungry I Am!), children’s story. 2007: translated into Spanish.
* 2005 The Germán Sánchez Ruipérez Foundation Award for the best newspaper article on reading.
* 2006 ''Laura Sants'', novel.
* 2006 ''Premi Trajectòria'' (The Career Award) from the Catalan Book Week.
* 2007 ''La lectura i la vida'' (Reading and Life), essay. Translated into Spanish.
* 2010 ''Els convidats'' (The Guests), novel.
* 2011 ''Premi dels escriptors catalans'' (The Catalan Writers’ Award) for his entire literary career.

References

External links

Why I write by Emili Teixidor (in English)Association of Catalan Writers webpage on Teixidor (in English)Teixidor's biography in pictures (text in Catalan)Emili Teixidor at LletrA, Catalan Literature Online (Open University of Catalonia).

{{DEFAULTSORT:Teixidor, Emili
Journalists from Catalonia
2012 deaths
1932 births
Novelists from Catalonia
Spanish male novelists
Male journalists
20th-century Spanish novelists
20th-century Spanish male writers

Catalonia in fiction
Catalan-language writers