Ramón José Sender Garcés (3 February 1901 – 16 January 1982) was a Spanish novelist, essayist and journalist. Several of his works were translated into English by the distinguished zoologist,
Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell
Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell (23 November 1864 – 2 July 1945) was a Scottish zoologist who was Secretary of the Zoological Society of London from 1903 to 1935. During this time, he directed the policy of the Zoological Gardens of London and c ...
, including ''Seven Red Sundays (Siete domingos rojos)'', ''Mr Witt Among the Rebels (Mr Witt en el cantón)'' and ''The War in Spain (Contraataque)''. He published articles in the Valencia-based ''
Orto'' magazine between 1932 and 1934. During the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
Sender was among the contributors of ''
El Mono Azul
''El Mono Azul'' () was an anti-fascist magazine which was published in Madrid during the Spanish Civil War. The magazine existed between 1936 and 1939 and was one of the major cultural, intellectual and artistic publications during the war with ...
'', a Republican literary magazine.
The Civil War had a profound and lasting impact on Sender. He served as an officer in the
Spanish Republican Army
The Spanish Republican Army () was the main branch of the Spanish Republican Armed Forces, Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic between 1931 and 1939.
It became known as People's Army of the Republic (''Ejército Popular de la República'' ...
, and the nationalists killed his wife – Amparo Barayon. His work ''Contraataque'' was based on his military experience and aimed to garner support for the Republicans.
Following
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general and dictator who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces i ...
's victory in the Spanish Civil War, Sender went into exile, first settling in
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
before moving to the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, where he became a U.S. citizen in 1946. In the United States, he built a long career as a professor of Spanish literature at various universities, primarily in
Albuquerque
Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...
and San Diego.
He temporarily returned to Spain when Franco was on his deathbed, and his return caused a stir in his homeland.
However, the permanent residence in Spain, which Sender had longed for and spoken so much about, never came to fruition.
[ Sender died in San Diego in 1982.][
]
Family
Sender's son is the composer and writer Ramón Sender Barayón. After father's death, he went to Spain to investigate the circumstances of his mother's murder.[ As a result of his investigation, he wrote the book ''Muerte en Zamora'' (Death in Zamora), which was published in the United States in 1989 and a year later in Spain. In 2018, director Luis Olano released the film ''Sender Barayón: Un Viaje Hacia La Luz'' (A Trip into the Light), dedicated to the life of Ramón Sender Barayón.
Andrea Sender Barayon, the daughter of Amparo Barayon and Ramón J. Sender, eventually became an Anglican nun under the name Sister Benedicta.
One of Sender's several grandchildren is Sol Sender, a designer best known for his work on the Obama campaign logo.
]
Publications
In Spanish
* ''Imán'' (1930)
* ''Siete domingos rojos'' (1932)
* ''Mr. Witt en el cantón'' (1935)
* ''Contraataque'' (1937)
* ''El lugar de un hombre'' (1939)
* ''Mexicayotl'' (1940)
* ''Crónica del alba'' (1942)
* ''La esfera'' (1947)
* ''El rey y la reina'' (1949) (Originally published in 1948 in English)[Schneider, Marshall J., and Baruch College. “The Antifascist Impulse in Two Novels of Ramón J. Sender: Genre, Gender and Interpretation.” Letras Peninsulares. vol. 14, no. 1, primavera 2001, pp. 33-41.]
* ''El verdugo afable'' (1952)
* ''Mosén Millán'' (1953) (republished later in 1960 renamed as ''Requiem por un campesino español'')
* ''Bizancio'' (1956)
* '' La tesis de Nancy'' (1962)
* '' El bandido adolescente'' (1965)
* ''La aventura equinoccial de Lope de Aguirre'' (1968)
In English translation
* ''Mr. Witt Among the Rebels'' (1937); original Spanish: ''Mr. Witt en el cantón''
* ''Seven Red Sundays'' (1938); original Spanish: ''Siete domingos rojos''
* ''The War in Spain: A Personal Narrative'' (1937); original Spanish: ''Contraataque''
* ''Chronicle of Dawn'' (1945); original Spanish: ''Crónica del alba''
* ''The King and the Queen'' (1948)
* ''Requiem for a Spanish Peasant
''Requiem for a Spanish Peasant'' (''Réquiem por un campesino español'') is a famous short novel in twentieth-century Spanish literature by Spanish writer Ramón J. Sender. It conveys the thoughts and memories of Mosén Millán, a Catholic paris ...
'' (1960); original Spanish: ''Requiem por un campesino español''
* ''The Affable Hangman'' (1964); original Spanish: ''El verdugo afable''
References
Further reading
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External links
Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sender Garces, Ramon Jose
1901 births
1982 deaths
People from Bajo Cinca
Spanish anarchists
Spanish male writers
Writers from Aragon
Spanish people of the Spanish Civil War (Republican faction)
Exiles of the Spanish Civil War in France
Exiles of the Spanish Civil War in Mexico
Exiles of the Spanish Civil War in the United States