arenys de mar

Sinera: Arenys de Mar and the literary myth of Salvador Espriu

May 11, 2017 11:13 AM | ACN / Laura Blancafort Benguerel

Salvador Espriu was one of Catalonia’s most significant writers of the 20th century. He was proposed as a candidate for the Nobel Prize in 1971 and 1983, and won the highest award of Catalan Literature in 1972. His works, of universal interest, have been translated into more than twenty languages. The literary myth of Sinera is one of the keys to Espriu’s work. The geographic and human substance to Sinera is inspired in the town of Arenys de Mar, just north of Barcelona. In his book Cementiri de Sinera Espriu recalls his childhood in a paradise destroyed by the construction industry and war.

Salvador Espriu: one of the greatest Catalan writers of the 20th century

June 25, 2013 08:46 PM | Paula Montañà

Not many Catalan writers present the complexity and multiple facets that Salvador Espriu can offer. An intellectual committed to his nation and language, Espriu (1913-1985) was one of the greatest writers of his time. He left an extensive literary legacy, characterised by his deep words and reflections concerning death, pain and personal identity. His poems have a foundation in Cabalism and Jewish traditions, which is what makes his work so universal and what probably lends him a huge international recognition, even by writing in a minority language. This year has been called ‘Any Espriu’ (Espriu Year) in order to celebrate the centenary of his birth.