Prominent Voices in Catalan Literature

Notable Catalan Authors and Their Legacies

Mercè Rodoreda (1908-1983)

A self-taught author, Mercè Rodoreda's life was marked by a fated marriage to her uncle and the birth of her son. During the Spanish Civil War, she distanced herself from Republican politics while working as a Catalan translator. In 1939, she went into exile in France, where she lived and had a relationship with another writer. She returned to Catalonia in 1972.

Major Works by Mercè Rodoreda

• Aloma
• La plaça del Diamant (Diamond Square)
• El carrer de les Camèlies (The Camellia Street)
• Jardí vora el mar (Garden by the Sea)
• Mirall trencat (Broken Mirror)
• La mort i la primavera (Death and the Spring)
• Various collections of short stories

Pere Calders (1912-1994)

Born and deceased in Barcelona, Pere Calders began his career writing and illustrating articles, notably for publications like La Campana de Gràcia. He went into exile in Mexico, from where he continued to write political articles for Catalonia.

Pere Calders' Literary Contributions

Calders' works often feature anonymous characters in conventional settings where extraordinary events unfold, blending ironic observations with pure fiction.

Short Story Collections

• El primer arlequí
• Cròniques de la veritat oculta (Chronicles of the Hidden Truth)
• Demà a les tres de la matinada (Tomorrow at 3 AM)
• Invasió subtil (Subtle Invasion)

Novels

• Aquí descansa Nevares (Here Lies Nevares)

Salvador Espriu (1913-1985)

Salvador Espriu's literary output includes relatively short novels and compelling stories. His style tends towards more extreme and artificial registers, often lyrical, satirical, and grotesque. Key themes in his work include death, injustice, and human folly, frequently expressed through a concentrated and precise use of language.

Selected Works by Salvador Espriu

Novels

• El doctor Rip
• Lali

Stories

• Aspectes
• Letizia i el miratge de Citerea (Letizia and the Mirage of Cytherea)

Carme Riera (1948)

Born in Palma de Mallorca, Carme Riera began her career with highly acclaimed short story collections.

Carme Riera's Published Works

Short Story Collections

• Te deix, amor, la mar com a penyora (I Leave You, Love, the Sea as a Pledge)
• Jo pos per testimoni les gavines (I Call the Seagulls to Witness)

Novels

• Una primavera per a Domenico Guarini (A Spring for Domenico Guarini)
• En el blau (In the Blue)

Montserrat Roig (1946-1991)

A prominent journalist and fiction writer, Montserrat Roig aimed to recover the memory of the petite bourgeoisie of the Eixample district in Barcelona through her works.

Montserrat Roig's Notable Books

• Els catalans als camps nazis (The Catalans in Nazi Camps)
• Ramona, adéu (Goodbye, Ramona)
• El temps de les cireres (The Time of Cherries)

Quim Monzó (1952)

Born in Barcelona, Quim Monzó started as a young reporter and quickly became known as an author of experimental works. He is celebrated for his comedic and ironic writing style.

Quim Monzó's Literary Creations

Short Story Collections

• L'udol del griso al caire de les clavegueres (The Howl of the Greyhound at the Edge of the Sewers)
• Olivetti, Moulinex i les altres coses (Olivetti, Moulinex and Other Things)
• El perquè de tot plegat (The Reason for Everything)
• Vuitanta-sis contes (Eighty-six Stories)

Novels

• La magnitud de la tragèdia (The Magnitude of the Tragedy)