Sebastià Juan Arbó (; 1902–1984) was a

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novelist and playwright. He wrote in

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and

. He was born in Sant Carles de la Ràpita on 28 October 1902 and died in

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on 2 January 1984. His work includes novels, drama, biographies and translations. He was an honorary member of the Association of Writers in the Catalan Language. In 1948 he won the

Premio Nadal Premio Nadal is a Spanish literary prize awarded annually by the publishing house Ediciones Destino, part of Planeta. It has been awarded every year on 6 January since 1944. The Josep Pla Award for Catalan literature is given at the same ceremony. ...

(the Nadal Prize).

Early life

Born into a peasant family, at age eight Juan moved with his parents to

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, and at twelve and worked in an office. In 1927 he went to

, where he began his writing career as a journalist for ''

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'' and ''

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'', as well as on various editorials.

Career

In 1931 Juan published his first novel, L'inútil combat (Useless battle). In 1932 he published ''Terres de l'Ebre'', his best known work, a novel that describes the situation of the peasants of the

Ebro delta The Ebro Delta ( ca, Delta de l'Ebre, ; es, Delta del Ebro, ) is the delta region of the Ebro River ( ca, Ebre, links=no, es, Ebro, links=no) in the southwest of the Province of Tarragona in the region of Catalonia in Spain. It is located on ...

, forgotten and humble, working in a hard and thankless land, subject to the fatalities. The novel transforms their personal and community experiences into fiction. In 1933 he published ''Notes d'un estudiant que va morir boig'' and in 1935 ''Boig Camins de nit''. After the

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he stopped publishing until, in 1947, he released ''Tino Costa'', with versions in

and

. In 1946 he had, however, published, a biography: ''Cervantes''. From 1948 he wrote works in Spanish such as ''Sobre las piedras grises'' (1948) which won the Nadal Prize for novel, and especially ''Martin Masks'' (1959). In his later years he returned to publishing in

: ''Narracions d'Delta'' (1965), ''L'espera'' (1948) and ''La Masia'' (1975). Juan died on 2 January 1984 of a heart attack.

Works

Novels

*L'inútil combat. Badalona: Proa, 1931 (Barcelona: Proa, 1969). – The futile battle *''Notes d'un estudiant que va morir boig, 1933''. (Work was rewritten with the title Hores en blanc. It was published in Spanish with the title The black hour in 1955). – Notes of a student who died insane *''Camins de nit''. Badalona: Proa, 1935 (Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1987). – Roads at night *''Hores en blanc''. Barcelona: Llibreria Catalònia, 1935 (Barcelona: Laia, 1983; Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1991). – Hours in white *''La ciutat maleïda''. Barcelona: Llibreria Catalònia, 1935. – Lands of the Ebro *''Terres de l'Ebre''. Barcelona: Llibreria Catalònia, 1936 (Barcelona: Selecta, 1955; Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1980). (Work translated into Italian, French, German and Dutch) *''Tino Costa''. Barcelona: Àncora, 1947. *''Sobre las piedras grises''. Barcelona: Destino, 1949; Barcelona: Destino, 1973 (5ª ed). – On Gray Stones *''Verdaguer: el poeta, el sacerdot i el món''. Barcelona: Aedos, 1952. – Verdaguer: poet, priest and the world *''Martín de Caretas''. 1955-1959 – Martin of Caretas *''Los hombres de la tierra y el mar''. Barcelona: Llibreria Editorial Argos, 1961. (1965 ??) – Men of the land and sea *''L'hora negra seguit de Divertiments: la nit de Sant Joan''. Barcelona: Selecta, 1961. – The time followed by black entertainments: the night of San Juan *''Narracions del Delta''. Barcelona: Selecta, 1965 – Stories of the Delta *''Obra catalana completa, I. Novel.les de l'Ebre''. Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1966. – Complete Catalan Works 1 Novels of the Ebro *''L'espera. Barcelona'': Club Editor, 1968 (1965?) – The waiting *''Obras selectas''. Barcelona: AHR, 1973 – Select works *''La Masia''. Barcelona: Selecta, 1975 (Barcelona: Orbis, 1984) – The Farmhouse *''La tempestad''. Espluguas de Llobregat: Plaza & Janés, 1978. – The Tempest *''El segundo del Apocalipsis''. Espluguas de Llobregat: Plaza & Janés, 1981 – The second of the Apocalypse *''Memorias: los hombres de la ciudad''. Barcelona: Editorial Planeta, 1982. – Memories: Men of the city *''Obra catalana completa'' (edited by Emili Rosales). Barcelona: Columna, 1992–1993 (3 volumes). – Catalan complete work *''Viatge a l'Ebre''. Barcelona: Columna-Tresmall, 1997. – Journey to the Ebro

Theatre

*''La ciutat maleïda''. Barcelona: Llibreria Catalònia, 1935 – The damn city *''Despertar''. 1936 – Awakening *''Nausica''. Barcelona: La Rosa dels Vents, 1937.

Biographies

*''La vida trágica de Mosèn Jacinto Verdaguer''. 1951 Barcelona: Planeta/Aedos, 1970 – The tragic life of Mosen Jacinto Verdaguer *''Pío Baroja y su tiempo''. Barcelona: Planeta, 1969. – Pio Baroja and his time *''Cervantes (hombre y época)''. Barcelona: 1948; Barcelona: Planeta, 1971. – Cervantes (Man and era)

Awards

*Fastenrath, Floral Games of Barcelona 1934. For the work ''Terres de l'Ebre''. *Novelistas Award, Municipality of Barcelona, 1936. For the work ''Camins de nit''. *Nadal Prize, 1948. For the work ''Sobre las piedras grises''.

External links

Webpage devoted to Sebastià Juan Arbó at LletrA (UOC), Catalan Literature Online
(Catalan) {{DEFAULTSORT:Juan Arbo, Sebastia 1902 births 1984 deaths Catalan-language writers Catalan dramatists and playwrights Writers from Catalonia 20th-century Spanish dramatists and playwrights Spanish male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Spanish male writers