Francisco García Tortosa (born in La Ñora (

Murcia Murcia (, , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the seventh largest city in the country. It has a population of 460,349 inhabitants in 2021 (about one ...

, Spain) on September 15, 1937) 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, Can ...

University Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professor ...

, literary critic, and

translator Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transl ...

into Spanish. In Spain García Tortosa is considered one of the chief experts on the figure and work of the

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

writer,

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

, whose creations he has translated and about which he has published a wide range of studies. The Irish hispanist, Ian Gibson, has called García Tortosa «Spain's leading expert on Joyce», while considering his translation of '' Ulysses'', in collaboration with María Luisa Venegas, as «prodigious».

Biography

His primary school in La Ñora, Murcia, was located in a barrack hut which had been used as an Air Force outpost during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...

. The school was run by the

Jesuits , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

who occupied the town's ''Monasterio de los Jerónimos'' (Monastery of Saint Jerome). He studied as a high school pupil in the town of Cehegín and in Murcia's "Alfonso X el Sabio" High. Subsequently, he studied at the

University of Salamanca The University of Salamanca ( es, Universidad de Salamanca) is a Spanish higher education institution, located in the city of Salamanca, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It was founded in 1218 by King Alfonso IX. It is t ...

, being awarded his Degree in

Modern Philology ''Modern Philology'' is a literary journal that was established in 1903. It publishes scholarly articles on literature, literary scholarship, history, and criticism in all modern world languages and book reviews of recent books as well as review ...

in 1965. In 1970 he obtained his

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

under the tutorship of Carlos Clavería Lizana, Member of the Real Academia Española de la Lengua, while it was in Salamanca that García Tortosa defended his Doctoral

Thesis A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...

entitled ''Los viajes imaginarios en el siglo XVIII inglés y su fondo cultural'' (''Imaginary Journeys in the English Eighteenth Century and their Cultural Background''). His research work, between 1964 and 1968, was undertaken in the Reading Room of the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

, later to become the

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, and the results were published in book form by the Publications Service of the

. Also between 1964 and 1968 he was Reader in Spanish at Kingston College, London, and at the

University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

. He was Full-Tenure Lecturer and Professor at the

University of Santiago de Compostela , established = , type = Public , budget = €228 million (2011) , rector = Prof. Dr. Antonio López Díaz , city = Santiago de Compostela , state = Galicia , country = Spain , undergrad = 23,835 , postgrad = 1,716 , doctoral = 2,697 ...

between 1973 and 1976, and Professor at the University of Sevilla between 1976 and 2008, where subsequently he became

Professor Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

between 2008 and 2011. A large number of his publications up until 2002, at least those related to Joyce, are listed in the book edited by Alberto Lázaro and Antonio R. de Toro Santos, entitled ''James Joyce in Spain, A Critical Bibliography, 1972-2002'' (Publications Service, University of La Coruña, 2002). He has given key lectures and taught Courses in most of Spain's universities, as well as in institutions such as the

Juan March Foundation ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...

and the City of Culture of Galicia, in

Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of S ...

. European universities and institutions in which he has given key lectures and Courses include

University College, Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 33,284 student ...

, the

James Joyce Centre The James Joyce Centre is a museum and cultural centre in Dublin, Ireland, dedicated to promoting an understanding of the life and works of James Joyce. It opened to the public in June 1996. The centre is situated in a restored 18th-century ...

, Dublin, as well as others in Antwerp,

Zürich , neighboring_municipalities = Adliswil, Dübendorf, Fällanden, Kilchberg, Maur, Oberengstringen, Opfikon, Regensdorf, Rümlang, Schlieren, Stallikon, Uitikon, Urdorf, Wallisellen, Zollikon , twintowns = Kunming, San Francisco Zürich ...

Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...

, etc. In the United States he has lectured in the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

, Oregon University, and

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

, at Evanston, Chicago, amongst others. During his career, Professor García Tortosa has supervised 32 Ph.D. Theses, many of them dealing with Joyce. He has also held the following posts: Secretary of the Faculty of Philology at the

, Director of the University of Sevilla's Institute of Languages, Dean of the Faculty of Philology at the University of Sevilla. Likewise he was Founder and Treasurer of the Spanish Association of Anglo-American Studies, as well as co-founder and director of the journal ''Philologia Hispalensis''. In 1992 he founded the Spanish James Joyce Society, of which he is life-time President, and, in 1993, the Association's journal, Papers on Joyce, was also founded by him, acting in collaboration with other academic professionals belonging to Spanish universities. Moreover, he has been guest writer in the cultural supplements of newspapers such as El País, El Mundo, and

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

. García Tortosa is divorced and has three children.

Works

There are three main strands which run through García Tortosa's professional work: his lecturing and teaching, his literary criticism, and his work as a translator. Both the latter are largely centred on the figure and works of

, as well as on Joyce's relations with Spain. In this regard, Rafael I. García-León, co-editor of the webpage Iberjoyce, writing in the issue of the journal Papers on Joyce published in honour of García Tortosa (''Festschrift'') wrote the following: «Next, we find Francisco García Tortosa's article "España en Joyce". ..Definitely ..is a landmark in the study of the influence of Spain in Joyce's works, since he gathers the ideas and conclusions presented in former articles». Moreover, in the words of the editors of this same issue of Papers on Joyce (Carmelo Medina Casado, Antonio Raúl de Toro Santos, Alberto Lázaro Lafuente, and Jefferey Simons), García Tortosa «has been a pioneer of English studies in Spain for more than four decades; he has worked as hard as everyone to stablish and strengthen these studies in our country». «It is, however, in postgraduate and Ph. D. studies that his work has left its most impressive legacy». As far as his dedication to Joyce is concerned: «In the narrower ambit of our field of study, Joyce's studies in Spain cannot be understood without reference to García Tortosa. ..he has been a seminal influence in the field». Finally, García Tortosa « ..was the first to see the significance of genetic criticism to translation. ..His translations of ''Ulysses'' and "Anna Livia Plurabelle" make it possible for Joyce's works to reach the Spanish-speaking literary circle, as well as readers in general». Meanwhile, Javier Aparicio Maydeu, Professor at

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 ...

, on the edition of ''Ulysses'', undertaken by García Tortosa, and issued by the publishing house Cátedra: «It is irrefutable that thanks to García Tortosa's rigorous edition, at last an accessible and affordable ''Ulysses'', commented on with finesse and well contextualized, is available to Spanish readers, and thus there is no doubting that we have reasons to celebrate». Likewise, the poet and essayist, Jenaro Talens, contrasting it with José Salas Subirat's, underlines the following regarding this translation: «Philological rigour, and a capacity to find effective solutions, is perhaps one of its key virtues, together with its keen determination to transplant the musical skeleton of the work as a whole to a language, which is Spanish, distanced as it is from the syncopated rhythm of English. It is for this reason perhaps that this translation will stand as a point of reference for a long time to come».

García Tortosa on Joyce

In an interview, the scholar had this to say about the Irish writer: «The difficulty with Joyce lies in how one needs to be highly realistic. If you meet someone in the street, that person does not open himself up completely to you. Little by little, in subsequent encounters, that person will start to reveal himself. And even so he will show himself to you in a limited and contradictory way. Thus it occurs in the works of Joyce». In keeping with this, elsewhere García Tortosa maintains that the attitude the reader should adopt when faced with reading those same works needs to be similar to that which he adopts when faced with life. Regarding the task of translating Joyce: «Translating ''Ulysses'' constitutes an out-and-out odyssey; not only do the problems that crop up need to be solved, but the translator is required to possess an encyclopaedic knowledge, not to mention a command of vocabulary related to the most varied facets of Art, Philosophy, and the Applied Sciences. Nevertheless, the greatest difficulty lies in configuring a text from which stems the same hints, echoes and ambiguities as in the original. ..So that a translation does not betray its original source, amongst other things and to the extent it is possible, it should avoid being explicative, it ought to maintain the ambiguity and the obscure passages just as they are found in the source text. In a novel like ''Ulysses'' the translator is continually seized by the temptation to facilitate the reading process, however, in doing so, we would be distorting the author's intentions». Yet, in recent times, García Tortosa's main interest has been centred on ''

Finnegans Wake ''Finnegans Wake'' is a novel by Irish writer James Joyce. It is well known for its experimental style and reputation as one of the most difficult works of fiction in the Western canon. It has been called "a work of fiction which combines a bod ...

'', as shown by the number of publications which, over the years, he has dedicated to this controversial work, the difficulty surrounding which, the scholar himself states, is the result of how, in many ways, has to do with it being a continuation of the earlier novel; its technique «is nothing more than the natural evolution of that which was employed in the "Circe" episode in ''Ulysses''».Introduction ''Anna Livia Plurabelle'', p. 13

Bibliography

Books

* Francisco García Tortosa and J. Keates: ''Key to a Manual of Spanish and Portuguese Prose Composition'', London: Harrap, 1970. * Francisco García Tortosa: ''Viajes imaginarios en el Siglo XVIII inglés y su fondo cultural'', Salamanca: Secretariado de publicaciones de la Universidad de Salamanca, 1973. * Francisco García Tortosa and Ramón López Ortega, eds.: ''English Literature and the Working-Class'', Sevilla: Secretariado de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Sevilla, 1980. * Francisco García Tortosa ''et al.'', eds.: ''James Joyce - Actas/Proceedings'', Sevilla: Secretariado de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Sevilla, 1982. * Juan Bargalló Carreté and Francisco García Tortosa, eds.: ''Samuel Beckett: Palabra y Silencio'', Sevilla: Centro Andaluz de Teatro, 1991. * Francisco García Tortosa, edition, introduction and translation in collaboration: ''Anna Livia Plurabelle ("Finnegans Wake", I, viii)'', de James Joyce, Madrid: Cátedra, Letras Universales, 1992. * Francisco García Tortosa and Antonio R. de Toro Santos, eds.: ''James Joyce en España-I'', La Coruña: Servicio de Publicacións Universidade da Coruña, 1994. * Francisco García Tortosa and Antonio R. de Toro Santos, eds.: ''James Joyce en España-II'', La Coruña: Servicio de Publicacións Universidade da Coruña, 1997. * Francisco García Tortosa, edition, introduction and translation in collaboration: ''Ulises'', de James Joyce, Madrid: Cátedra, Letras Universales, 1999. * Francisco García Tortosa, ''et al.'', eds.: ''Cine y Cultura: The 40s, Estados Unidos y Gran Bretaña'', Sevilla: Minerva, 2000. * Francisco García Tortosa, M. J. Gronow Smith and F. Oviedo Moral: ''Introduction: Calibrating the Culture of the Forties. Cine y Cultura, the 40s. Estados Unidos y Gran Bretaña'', Sevilla: Minerva, 2000, pp. 1-33. * ''JoyceSbilya: miscelánea de estudios joyceanos'', Sevilla: Universidad de Sevilla. Secretariado de Publicaciones, 2011.

Essays in books

* "El 'Melonsmellonous Osculation' de Joyce" (estudio estilístico), en Actas del Primer Congreso de la asociación Española de estudios Anglo-Norteamericanos. Granada: Secretariado de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Granada, 1978, pp. 41-47. * "Interpretación de las acotaciones de Shakespeare en ''Ulysses''" (estudio comparativo), en ''James Joyce: A New Language. Actas/Proceedings del Simposio Internacional en el Centenario de James Joyce''. Ed. Francisco García Tortosa, et al. Sevilla: Publicaciones de la Universidad de Sevilla, 1982, pp. 145-52. * "Función de los hispanismos en ''Finnegans Wake''", en ''Joyce en España I''. Cursos, Congresos e Simposios, 10. Ed. Francisco García Tortosa y Antonio Raúl de Toro Santos. A Coruña: Universidade da Coruña, Servicio de Publicacións, 1994, pp. 113-19. * "Las traducciones de Joyce al español", en ''Joyce en España I''. Cursos, Congresos e Simposios, 10. Ed. Francisco García Tortosa y Antonio Raúl de Toro Santos. A Coruña: Universidade da Coruña, Servicio de Publicacións, 1994, pp. 19-29. *"Dublín i ''Finnegans Wake''" (estudio estilístico), en ''El Dublín de Joyce''. Dir. Juan Insúa. Barcelona: Centre de Cultura Contemporánia de Barcelona/Destino, 1995, pp. 16-74. * "''Ulysses'' de James Joyce: clásico contemporáneo". I Jornadas de Estudios Ingleses. Ed. Carmelo Medina Casado y Luciano García García. Jaén: Universidad de Jaén. 1995, pp. 23-35. * ''Joyce en España II''. (ed. con Antonio Raúl de Toro Santos). Cursos, congresos e Simposios, 10. A Coruña: Universidade da Coruña, Servicio de Publicacions, 1997. * "Joyce entre el modernismo y el postmodernismo", en ''James Joyce: límites de lo diáfano.'' Ed. Carmelo Medina Casado, et al. Jaén: Universidad de Jaén, 1998, pp. 231-45. * "Traductores y traductólogos: a propósito de James Joyce", en ''Insights into Translation''. Ed. Adolfo Luis Soto Vázquez. A Coruña: Universidade da Coruña, 1998, pp. 11-21. * "Joyce entre el Modernismo y el Postmodernismo". ''Matrices del Siglo XX: Signos Precursores de la Postmodernidad''. Madrid. Compañía Española de Reprografía y Servicios. 2001, pp. 267-283. * "El Silencio de Otelo". ''El Inglés Como Vocación: Homenaje al Profesor Miguel Castelo Montero''. La Coruña. Universidad de a Coruña. 2003, pp. 269-280. * "Irish Landscapes". ''Irish Landscapes''. Almería, España. Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Almería. 2003, pp. 17-31. * "''Ulysses'' As Translation. Silverpowdered Olivetrees": ''Reading Joyce in Spain''. Sevilla, España. Secretariado de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Sevilla. Vol. 1. 2003, pp. 54-57. * "España en Joyce". ''Joyce y España: Exposición''. Madrid. Círculo de Bellas Artes. 2004, pp. 59-73. * "A la Sombra del Irlandés". ''James Joyce, cien años y un día:'' Ulises '' y el "Bloomsday"''. Sevilla, España. Fundación José Manuel Lara. 2005, pp. 41-62. * "A Propósito de Saramago". ''Towards an Understanding of the English Languaje: Past, Present and Future: Studies in Honour of Fernando Serrano''. Granada, España. Universidad de Granada. 2005, pp. 237-246. * "Notas Sobre Marxismo y Joyce". ''Joyceana: Literaria Hibérnica''. Almería, España. Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Almería. Vol. 1. 2005, pp. 15-25. * "Traducir a los Clásicos". ''Insights Into Translation VII''. A Coruña. Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de la Coruña. 2005, pp. 7-17. * "Graham Greene: 'Neither Here Nor There.'". ''A Pleasure of Life in Words: a Festchrift for Angela Downing''. Madrid, España. Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Vol. 2. 2006, pp. 483-496. * "La hija del judío y los judíos en ''Ulises''". ''Estudios Joyceanos en Gran Canaria: James Joyce "in His Palms"''. Madrid. Huerga y Fierro Editores, 2007, pp. 101-118. * "Traducción del inglés y su transculturación en español". ''Re-escrituras de lo global. Traducción e interculturalidad''. Madrid. Editorial Biblioteca Nueva. 2007, pp. 195-211. * "Vascuence en Finnegans Wake" (I.iv, 101.02-102-17). ''New Perspectives on James Joyce. Ignatius Loyola, Make Haste to Help Me!''. Deusto, Bilbao. Deusto University Press. 2009, pp. 79-90. * "Vico y Vigo en ''Finnegans Wake'': Confluencias y Ramificaciones". ''Vigorous Joyce. Atlantic Readings of James Joyce''. Vigo, España. Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Vigo. 2010, pp. 177-188.

Articles in reviews

* "La lengua como medio de identificación de un grupo literario: 'The Angry Young Men'", Filología Moderna, 49, 1973. * "Notas para una interpretación de la novela inglesa de finales del Siglo Dieciocho", Filología Moderna, 52-53, 1974-75. * "Introducción al estilo neutro de Iris Murdoch", ES, Valladolid, 1976. * "Caracterización de los distintos niveles de habla en Shelley", ES, Valladolid, 1977. * "Lengua y marginación en Harold Pinter", Atlantis, 2, 1980. * "España y su función simbólica en la narrativa de ''Ulysses''". Revista Canaria de Estudios Ingleses. La Laguna , Tenerife. 8 (1984): pp. 13-31. * "Arnold Kettle: A Literary Tribute", Anglo-American Studies, 7, 1987. * "Divertimento filológico sobre el otoño", Estudios Ingleses de la Universidad Complutense, 2, 1994. * "''Hamlet'': A Moving Target o las limitaciones de la crítica Literaria", Estudios de Cultura Británica en España, No. 1, 1994. * "Transculturación de Joyce". Buxía. Vol. 1. Núm. 1. 2002, pp. 15-27. * "Tracing the Origins of Spanish in Joyce: A Sourcebook for the Spanish Vocabulary in Buffalo Notebook VI. B. 23." Papers on Joyce, No.7/8, 2001-2002 (2004). * "The Backdrop of Translating Ulises", Papers on Joyce, No. 14, 2008. * "On Influence and Joyce". Papers on Joyce. Núm. 15. 2009, pp. 1-16. * "Dawn and Sundown of Anna Livia: A Genetic Approach", Papers on Joyce, No. 16, 2010.

Prefaces

* García Doncel, María: ''El Modelo Femenino en "Jane Eyre"''. Servicio de Publicaciones, Universidad de Cádiz, 1988. * Carnero, José: ''James Joyce y la explosión de la palabra''. Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Sevilla, 1989.

Other publications

* Francisco García Tortosa, Mª Luisa Venegas Lagüens: ''Ulises''. Informes, Estudios, Trabajos y Dictámenes. Universidad de Sevilla, 2001. * Antonio Calle González, Francisco García Tortosa, Miguel J. Gronow, Félix Oviedo, Mª Isabel Porcel, et al.: ''Exploring Film Art - Explorando el Arte Fílmico''. Informes, Estudios, Trabajos y Dictámenes. Universidad de Sevilla, 2002. * Francisco García Tortosa, Miguel J. Gronow: ''Notes on Film Noir''. Informes, Estudios, Trabajos y Dictámenes. Universidad de Sevilla, 2002.

References

* Lázaro, Alberto & de Toro Santos, Antonio Raúl: ''James Joyce in Spain: a Critical Bibliography (1972-2002)''. Ed. Secretariado de Publicaciones de la Universidad de La Coruña, 2002. * Aubert, Jacques; Hart, Clive; Beja, Morris; Bowen, Zack; Hayman, David; Henke, Suzette; Lernout, Geert, ''et al.'': ''Papers on Joyce'' review - issues 10/11 (2004-2005): ''Festschrift for Professor Francisco García Tortosa''. Ed. Spanish James Joyce Society. Murcia, 2005 - ISSN 1135-0504 * General bibliography
Vicerrectorado de Investigación - University of Sevilla - Access 2012/08/09

External links

Vicerrectorado de Investigación. Universidad de Sevilla - Access 2012/08/09

* ttp://elpais.com/diario/1999/06/24/cultura/930175204_850215.html "Cátedra edita una nueva versión en español del "Ulises" - Article in ''El País'', 1999/06/24 - Access 2012/08/09* [http://www.elcorreogallego.es/tendencias/ecg/francisco-garcia-tortosa-traductor-ulises-joyce-antonio-toro-udc/idEdicion-2012-07-22/idNoticia-757582/ Interview with photo in newspaper ''El Correo Gallego'' 2012/07/22 - Access 2012/08/30] {{DEFAULTSORT:García Tortosa, Francisco 1937 births Living people People from Murcia Spanish literary critics Spanish translators University of Salamanca alumni Academic staff of the University of Santiago de Compostela Academic staff of the University of Seville James Joyce scholars Translators of James Joyce English–Spanish translators Academics of the University of Leeds