Josep Maria Castellet

Josep Maria Castellet Díaz de Cossío (15 December 1926 – 9 January 2014), also known as José María Castellet, was a Spanish Catalan writer, poet, literacy critic, publisher and editor.

Born in Barcelona, he began his career in writing in 1955, and wrote novels and poetry in both Catalan and Spanish. His final novel was published in 2012.

He played an outstanding role in the Spanish and Catalan culture life of the second half of the 20th century. He was the chief editor of the publishing house ''Edicions 62'' (1964–1996) and afterwards president of the ''Grup 62''. He was the founder and first president of the Associació d'Escriptors en Llengua Catalana (Catalan writers association), a board member of the ''Comunità europea degli scrittori'', the ''Prix international de Littérature'' jury and the dean of the ''Institució de les Lletres Catalanes'' (Institution of Catalan letters).
Josep Maria Castellet died on 9 January 2014, aged 87, in his hometown of Barcelona.

Biography

Castellet received his education as a literary critic by working for university magazines. His biographers stress his active participation in the editorial board of the magazine ''Laye'' (1950–1954), where he held a critical position towards contemporary Spanish literature, and the first publication of an article collection ''Notas sobre literatura española contemporánea'' (Notes on contemporary Spanish literature, 1955). His willingness for renewal and the discovery of the European literary critique through the ''Laye'' group led him to write ''La hora del lector'' (The reader's hour, 1957). As he wanted to make known a group of young poets that had started publishing in ''Laye'' (Carlos Barral, Jaime Gil de Biedma and José Agustín Goytisolo), he published the polemic anthology ''Veinte años de poesía española'' (20 years of Spanish poetry, 1960) that postulated ''historic realism''. Ten years later a new anthology, ''Nueve novísimos poetas españoles'' (Nine brand-new Spanish poets, 1970), marked a change to new poetic tendencies after realism. In 1963 Castellet published, together with Joaquim Molas, ''Poesia catalana del segle XX'' (20th century Catalan poetry) guided by historic realism, a concept that he developed theoretically in ''Poesia, realisme, història'' (Poetry, realism, history, 1965).

His work as a critic during that time centered on two important books that are still considered works of reference: the structuralist reading of the poetry by Espriu —''Iniciació a la poesia de Salvador Espriu'' (Initiation to Salvador Espriu's poetry, 1971)— and the analysis of the narrative richness of Josep Pla's work, ''Josep Pla o la raó narrativa'' (Josep Pla or narrative reason, 1978).

In ''Per un debat sobre la cultura a Catalunya'' (For a debate on culture in Catalonia, 1983) he reflected on the role of culture in the recently democratic state and the frame of the autonomous region of Catalonia. His last works consisted of memories; the first one, not published until 2007 was ''Dietari de 1973'' (Diary of 1973). He started this presentation of himself and his times in (Memory's stages, 1988), went on with (Seducers, enlightened and visionaries, 2009) and (Confidential memories of a publisher. Three befriended writers, 2012).

Work

* 1955. (Notes on contemporary Spanish literature), Laye, Barcelona.
* 1957. (The reader's hour), Seix Barral, Barcelona (Italian translation: Einaudi, Torino, 1957).
* 1958. (The spiritual evolution of E. Hemingway), Taurus, Madrid.
* 1960. (Twenty years of Spanish poetry), Seix Barral, Barcelona, 2d ed., 1969; 3d ed., 1962. (Italian translation: Feltrinelli, Torino, 1962). Further editions under the title: (A Quarter of a Century of Spanish Poetry), Seix Barral, Barcelona, 1966, 1969, 1973.
* 1963. (20th century Catalan poetry), Edicions 62, Barcelona, 5th ed., 1980. (Together with Joaquim Molas).
* 1965. (Poetry, realism, history), Edicions 62, Barcelona.
* 1969. (Reading Marcuse), Edicions 62, Barcelona. (Originally published in Catalan. Spanish version: Seix Barral, Barcelona, Reprinted 1971).
* 1969. (Eight centuries of Catalan poetry), Alianza Editorial, Madrid. (Bilingual anthology, together with J. Molas) Reedited 1976.
* 1970. (Nine brand-new Spanish poets), Barral Editores, Barcelona. (Italian translation: Einaudi, Torino, 1976).
* 1971. (Introduction to Salvador Espriu's poetry), Taurus Ediciones, Madrid, Taurus essay prize 1970. (Catalan edition: Edicions 62, Barcelona. Reedited: 1978, 1984).
* 1975. (Questions of literature, politics and society), Edicions 62, Barcelona.
* 1976. (Literature, ideology and politics), Anagrama, Barcelona.
* 1977. (Maria Girona. Painting in liberty), Edicions 62, Barcelona. (Together with Anna Maria Moix).
* 1978. (Josep Pla or narrative reason), Edicions Destino, Barcelona. Josep Pla prize, 1978. (Spanish translation: Ediciones Península, Barcelona, 1982).
* 1979. (General anthology of Catalan poetry), Edicions 62, Barcelona. (Together with J. Molas).
* 1983. (For a debate on culture in Catalonia), Edicions 62, Barcelona.
* 1984. (The generation of 27. Poems), Suhrkamp Verlag, Frankfurt am Main. (Together with Pere Gimferrer).
* 1985. (Culture and the cultures), Argos Vergara, Barcelona.
* 1987. (The reader's hour. Followed by Poetry, realism and history), Edicions 62, Barcelona.
* 1987. (Informal memories of a literary editor, taken from the book 'Edicions 62, 25 years (1962–1987)), Edicions 62, Barcelona. Edició novenal.
* 1988. (Memory's stages). Edicions 62, Barcelona. Reedited, 1995, 2009.
* 1988. (Memory's stages, in Spanish), Anagrama, Barcelona.
* 2001. (The reader's hour). (Critical edition by Laureano Bonet), Ediciones Península, Barcelona.
* 2001. (Nine brand-new. With a documentary appendix), Ediciones Península, Barcelona, 2001. New, corrected edition, with a “sentimental appendix”, Ediciones Península, Barcelona, 2006.
* 2005. (Eight centuries of Catalan poetry), Edicions 62, Barcelona. (Together with J. Molas).
* 2007. (1973 Diary), Edicions 62, Barcelona.
* 2009. (Seducers, enlightened and visionaries). Edicions 62, Barcelona.
* 2010. (Seducers, enlightened and visionaries, in Spanish), Anagrama, Barcelona.
* 2012. (Confidential memories of a publisher. Three befriended writers), Edicions 62, Barcelona.

Awards

* Taurus d'assaig (Taurus essay award), 1970.
* Gaziel de periodisme (Gaziel journalism award), 1977.
* Premi Josep Pla de narrativa ( Josep Pla Award) for ''Josep Pla o la raó narrativa'', 1977.
* Premi Joanot Martorell de narrativa (Joanot Martorell award) for ''Escenaris de la memòria'', 1987.
* Premi Crítica Serra d'Or de Literatura i Assaig#Biografies i memòries (Serra d'Or Critics award in the section of biography and memory) for ''Escenaris de la memòria'', 1989.
* Premi de literatura catalana de la Generalitat, modalitat prosa (Catalan literature award for prose, awarded by the regional government of Catalonia), 1989.
* Premi Lletra d'Or (Golden Letter award) for ''Escenaris de la memòria'', 1989.
* Premi Nacional a la Trajectòria Professional i Artística (National award for the professional and artistic lifetime achievement), 2009.
* Premi Crítica Serra d'Or de Literatura i Assaig#Biografies i memòries (Serra d'Or Critics award in the section of biography and memory) for ''Seductors, il·lustrats i visionaris. Sis personatges en temps adversos'', 2010.
* Premio Nacional de las Letras Españolas (National award of Spanish letters), 2010.

Medals

* Creu de Sant Jordi of the Generalitat de Catalunya, 1983.
* Hungarian Medal Proculture of the Republic of Hungary, 1987.
* Officier de l'Ordre National du Mérite of the French government, 1988.
* Medalla de oro de las Bellas artes del Ministerio de Cultura, 1992.
* Medalla d'or al mèrit artístic de l'Ajuntament de Barcelona, 1993.
* Medalla d'Or de la Generalitat de Catalunya, 2003.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Castellet, Josep Maria
1926 births
2014 deaths
Writers from Barcelona
Catalan-language poets
Spanish literary critics
Spanish publishers (people)
Spanish editors
Spanish male poets
20th-century Spanish poets
20th-century Spanish male writers