Ramón Pérez de Ayala y Fernández del Portal (9 August 1880 – 5 August 1962) was a Spanish writer. He was the Spanish ambassador to England in London (1931–1936) and voluntarily exiled himself to

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via

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because of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). He was nominated for the

Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...

Background

Pérez de Ayala was educated at

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schools, the experience of which he satirized in the novel ''A.M.D.G.'' (1910). The novelist Leopoldo Alas was among his professors, and Alas's "intellectual novel," focused on ideas and philosophy, would influence Pérez de Ayala's own fiction. There is some debate regarding to which generation of Spanish writers Pérez de Ayala belongs. His early realistic novels reveal ties with the Generation of 98. However, some argue that Ramon Pérez de Ayala was a member of the Generation of 1914, a group which did not entirely fit with either the Generation of 98 or the Generation of 27. Like his political ally José Ortega y Gasset, he was a liberal republican and opposed to the Spanish monarchy, as well as a professed Anglophile who sought to import the English parliamentary system to Spain. He was elected to the

Royal Spanish Academy The Royal Spanish Academy (, ; ) is Spain's official royal institution with a mission to ensure the stability of the Spanish language. It is based in Madrid, Spain, and is affiliated with national language academies in 22 other Hispanophon ...

in 1928, and received nominations for the

in 1931, 1934 and 1947. He was appointed director of the Prado Museum in 1931 a position that he left temporarily in 1932 to become the Spanish ambassador to Britain. Perez de Ayala received an honorary doctorate from the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

in 1936. He was succeeded as director of the Prado Museum by

Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

in 1936. After 1916, his novels became increasingly mature and lyrical, his characters becoming

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ic representatives of general human problems. To this period belongs his masterpieces, ''Belarmino y Apolonio'' (1921) (translated as "Belarmino and Apolonio"), ''Tiger Juan'' (1926) and ''El curandero de su honra'' (''The Healer of his Honour'') (1927). ''La paz del sendero'' (''The Peace of the Path'') (1903), ''El sendero innumerable'' (1916), and ''El sendero andante'' (1921), his major poetic works, show the influence of French symbolism. He also wrote satiric essays and dramatic criticism.

Works available in English

*''Belarmino and Apolonio'' (1990) Quartet Books. *''Honeymoon, Bittermoon'' (1974) University of California Press. *Sunday Light. In: * ''Tiger Juan'' translator Walter Starkie, J. Cape, 1933,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Perez de Ayala, Ramon 1880 births 1962 deaths People from Oviedo Members of the Congress of Deputies of the Second Spanish Republic Ambassadors of Spain to the United Kingdom Politicians from Asturias Spanish male writers Modernist writers Writers from Asturias Members of the Royal Spanish Academy Directors of the Museo del Prado Exiles of the Spanish Civil War in Argentina Colegio de la Inmaculada (Gijón) alumni University of Oviedo alumni Spanish diplomats Exiles of the Spanish Civil War in France Exiled Spanish politicians