Olga Xirinacs Díaz (born 1936) is a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

writer and piano teacher. During her literary career, she has written poetry, drama, tales and essays. She was born in

Tarragona Tarragona (, ; Phoenician: ''Tarqon''; la, Tarraco) is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tar ...

(

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

), where she still lives and works. Xirinacs often writes in the daily press: her articles have been published in ''

La Vanguardia ' (; , Spanish for "The Vanguard") is a Spanish daily newspaper, founded in 1881. It is printed in Spanish and, since 3 May 2011, also in Catalan (Spanish copy is automatically translated into Catalan). It has its headquarters in Barcelona and i ...

Avui ''Avui'' (, meaning "Today" in English) was a Catalan daily newspaper, based in Barcelona, in Catalonia. It was one of the city's newest papers, having been founded in 1976. The editorial line was Catalan nationalist. History and profile ''Avui' ...

'', and'' Foc Nou'', amongst others. She has given narrative courses in the Aula de Lletres and in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

Pompeu Fabra University Pompeu Fabra University ( ca, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, UPF, ; es, link=no, Universidad Pompeu Fabra) is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia in Spain. The university was created by the Autonomous Government of Catalo ...

. Some of her books have won prestigious Catalan literature awards, including the

Sant Jordi Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldie ...

, Sant Joan,

Josep Pla Josep Pla i Casadevall (; 8 March 1897 – 23 April 1981) was a Spanish journalist and a popular author. As a journalist he worked in France, Italy, England, Germany and Russia, from where he wrote political and cultural chronicles in Catalan a ...

Ramon Llull Ramon Llull (; c. 1232 – c. 1315/16) was a philosopher, theologian, poet, missionary, and Christian apologist from the Kingdom of Majorca. He invented a philosophical system known as the ''Art'', conceived as a type of universal logic to pro ...

and the Carles Riba prizes. She has published more than three hundred tales, 250 for adults and around 50 for children. She is the only female " Mestra en Gai Saber" (Master in the Art of Poetry) of the

Jocs Florals Floral Games were any of a series of historically related poetry contests with floral prizes. In Occitan, their original language, and Catalan they are known as ''Jocs florals'' (; modern Occitan: ''Jòcs florals'' , or ''floraus'' ). In French the ...

(Literary Contest) after

Mercè Rodoreda Mercè Rodoreda i Gurguí (; 10 October 1908 – 13 April 1983) was a Catalan novelist. She is considered the most influential contemporary Catalan language writer, as evidenced by the references of other authors in her work and the internation ...

Gurgui. In 1990, the

Generalitat de Catalunya The Generalitat de Catalunya (; oc, label=Aranese, Generalitat de Catalonha; es, Generalidad de Cataluña), or the Government of Catalonia, is the institutional system by which Catalonia politically organizes its self-government. It is formed b ...

awarded her the

Creu de Sant Jordi The Creu de Sant Jordi (, in English 'St George's Cross') is one of the highest civil distinctions awarded in Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, ...

. She is a member of Association of Catalan-Language Writers.

Prose works

* ''Música de cambra'' (Chamber music) Barcelona 1982. * ''Interior amb difunts'' (Inside Corpses), Josep Pla Prize, 1982. Barcelona 1983. * ''La mostela africana i altres contes'' (The African weasel and other tales) Barcelona 1985. * ''Al meu cap una llosa'' (On my Head, a Tombstone) Sant Jordi Prize, 1984 and Serra d'Or Critics Prize for the Novel. Barcelona 1985. *''Zona marítima'' (Maritime Area),

Ramon Llull Novel Award The Ramon Llull Novel Award ( es, Premio Ramon Llull de novela, links=no; ca, Premi de les Lletres Catalanes Ramon Llull, links=no) is an honor given annually to a novel originally written in Catalan. Conceived in 1981 by editor , it is awarded ...

, 1986. Barcelona 1986. * ''Relats de mort i altres matèries'' (Stories of death and other stuff) Barcelona 1988. * ''Mar de fons'' (Deep sea). Barcelona 1988. * ''Tempesta d'hivern'' (Winter storm). Barcelona 1990. * ''Enterraments lleugers'' (Shallow Interments), Sant Joan Prize, 1990. Barcelona 1991. * ''Cerimònia privada'' (Private ceremony). Barcelona 1993. * ''Josep Sala''. Tarragona 1993. * ''Sense malícia'' (Without wickedness), City of Palma Novel Prize, 1993. Barcelona 1993 * ''Sucant el melindro''. (Dipping the sponge biscuit). Barcelona 1996. * ''La Via Augusta. Vint pobles fan el Tarragonès. De Llevant a Ponent''. (August Way . Twenty villages that make Tarragones. From West to East)Barcelona 1997. * ''Viatge d’aigua. Un passeig per la Costa Daurada'' (Water travel. A walk through Costa Daurada). Barcelona 1999. * ''La tarda a Venècia'' (An afternoon in Venice). Barcelona 1999. * ''L’home que mossegava les dones'' (The man who bit women). Barcelona 2000. * ''Pavana per un tauró'' (Mourning music for a Shark). Barcelona 2001. * ''No jugueu al cementiri'' (Do not play in the cemetery). Thriller Prize 2001. Barcelona 2002. * ''Els 7 pecats capitals. La peresa – eròtica-'' (The 7 capital sins. The erotic laziness). Barcelona 2002. * ''Setmana de difunts'' (Dead week). Barcelona 2003 * ''El viatge. Dietari 1986-1990'' (The voyage: Diary 1986-1990). Barcelona 2004. * ''El hijo del tejedor'' (The weaver's son). Spanish language. Barcelona 2006. * ''Trens'' (Trains). Barcelona 2006

Poetic works

* ''Botons de tiges grises'' (Buttons from grey ítems). Barcelona 1977. * ''Clau de blau (Tarraconis vrit amor)'' (The Blue Key). Tarragona 1978. * ''Llençol de noces'' (Wedding bedsheet). Barcelona 1979. * ''Tramada'' (Ploted) Collective with the group ''Espiadimonis''. Tarragona 1980. * ''Preparo el te sota palmeres roges''( I prepare the tea under red palm trees). Caravel·la Prize, 1980. Barcelona 1981. * ''Versifonies''. Collective with the group ''Espiadimonis'' (Versymphonies).Tarragona 1987. * ''Llavis que dansen'' (Lips that dance). Barcelona 1987. * ''La pluja sobre els palaus'' ( The rain over the palaces). Barcelona 1990. * ''La muralla''. (The wall). Barcelona 1993. * ''Mansardes''. (Mansards) Collective with the group ''Espiadimonis''. Tarragona 1997. * ''Grills de mandarina''. (Mandari orange segments). Lleida 2004. * ''El sol a les vinyes''. (The Sun in the vineyards. Il vangelo, Pasolini in memoriam). Bilingual edition. Barcelona 2005 * ''Eterna''. (Eternal). Bilingual edition Catalan/Spanish. Barcelona 2006

Works for children

* ''Marina''. Illustrated by

Asun Balzola Asunción Balzola Elorza (18 July 1942 in Bilbao – 22 June 2006 in Madrid), better known as Asun Balzola, was a Spanish autodidact illustrator, writer and translator. After partially recovering from a severe car crash, she studied paintin ...

. Barcelona 1986. * ''Patates fregides''. (Fried potatoes). Illustrated byCarme Solé. Barcelona 1994. * ''Sóc un arbre''. (I’m a tree). Illustrated by Asun Balzola. Barcelona 1994. * ''El far del capità''. (The captain’s lighthouse). Illustrated by Carme Solé. Barcelona 1994. * ''Xocolata''. (Chocolate) Barcelona 1994. * ''El meu pare és capità'' (My father is a captain). Illustrated by Gemma Sales. Barcelona 1995. * ''Final d’estiu''. (Summer’s end) Barcelona 1996. * ''Wendy torna a volar''. (Wendy flies again)Barcelona 1996. * ''El vol de Dràcula''. (Dracula’s fly)Illustrated by Francesc Infante. Barcelona 1996. * ''Mòmies''. (Mummies) Barcelona 1996. * ''Triangles mortals o la sala dels difunts'' (Mortal triangles or the corpses' room). Illustrated by Mercè Canals. Barcelona 1998. * ''Marina / Cavall de mar''. (Marina/Seahorse). Illustrated by Asun Balzola. Barcelona 1998. * ''La núvia adormida''. (The sleeping bride) Barcelona 1998. * ''La Vaca Xoriça''. (Xoriça caw). Illustrated by Laia Soler. Barcelona 1998. * ''Un cadàver per sopar''. (A corpse for dinner) City of Badalona Prize for Young People's Narrative, 2000. Barcelona 2000. * ''L’escrivent de làpides''. (The tombstone court clerk) Barcelona 2002.

Translated works

Spanish

* ''Zona marítima''. (Maritime zone). Translated by Sara Pujol. Barcelona 1987. * ''El faro del capitán''. (The captain’s lighthouse). Author’s translation. Madrid 1994. * ''Fin de verano''. (Summer’s end). Author’s translation. Madrid 1996. * ''El vuelo de drácula''. (Dracula’s fly). Author’s translation. Madrid, 1996. * ''El árbol de mi patio''.(The tree from my courtyard). Asun Balzola's drawings. Author’s translation. Barcelona, 1996. * ''Marina y Caballito de mar''. (Marina and Sea horse). Author’s translation. Madrid, 1998. * ''La novia dormida''.(the Asleep bride) Author’s translation. Barcelona, 1998. * ''El escribiente de lápidas''. (The tombstone court clerk) Translated by Pau Joan Hernàndez. Barcelona, 2002.

Other languages

* Many tales have been translated into German, Basque, Spanish and Russian
''Lips that dance''
(poetry) translated to English by Hillary J Gardner. Washington University. *Poetry translated to French published in some French and Canadian magazines. * ''Jardines sobre el mar'' (Gardens over the sea) Bilingual anthology of poetry. Translated to Russian by Elena Zernova. Sant Petersburg University. 2003

References

External links

Author's personal blog

Author's pages of Association of Catalan-Language Writers

Spanish Agency of publish books (ISBN)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Xirinacs Diaz, Olga 1936 births Living people People from Tarragona Catalan-language writers Women writers from Catalonia Poets from Catalonia Dramatists and playwrights from Catalonia Spanish women poets Spanish women dramatists and playwrights Spanish children's writers Spanish women children's writers 20th-century Spanish poets 21st-century Spanish poets 21st-century Spanish women writers 20th-century Spanish women writers