Jorge Enrique Adoum
Jorge Enrique Adoum was a prominent Ecuadorian poet, playwright, and novelist, born in 1926 in Ambato to Lebanese parents. He pursued studies in law and philosophy at the Central University of Ecuador and later completed his education in Chile, where he notably served as the personal secretary to the renowned poet Pablo Neruda. Adoum’s literary career commenced with the publication of his first poetry collection, "Ecuador amargo," in 1949, which garnered acclaim from prominent literary figures. His work often reflects a deep engagement with social issues and the historical context of Latin America.
Throughout his life, Adoum faced significant political challenges, leading to periods of exile and work abroad, including in China and France, where he contributed to UNESCO. In addition to poetry, he wrote plays and novels, and his literary contributions earned him several prestigious awards, including Ecuador's National Poetry Prize and the Premio Nacional de Cultura Eugenio Espejo. Adoum's legacy is marked by his steadfast commitment to social commentary and his recognition as one of Ecuador's most respected literary figures. He returned to Ecuador in 1987 and continued to write until his death, leaving a lasting impact on Latin American literature.
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Jorge Enrique Adoum
Writer
- Born: 1926
- Birthplace: Ambato, Ecuador
- Died: July 3, 2009
- Place of death: Quito, Ecuador
Biography
Jorge Enrique Adoum was born in 1926 in Ambato, Ecuador, to parents of Lebanese descent. He studied law and philosophy at the Central University of Ecuador before moving to Chile to complete his studies at the University of Santiago. In Chile, he served as personal secretary to the great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. When Neruda was forced to flee the country for political reasons, Adoum went into hiding until Neruda provided the means for him to return to his native Ecuador.
Upon his return to Ecuador in 1948, Adoum was appointed director of the publishing house at the Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana, and he also was a professor at the Central University of Quito. In 1949, Adoum published his first book of poetry, Ecuador amargo. The book was well reviewed by Neruda and Carlos Drummond de Andrade, a major Brazilian poet. Even in this early volume, Adoum’s preoccupation with social issues is apparent. He followed this publication with his second collection of poetry in 1952, Los cuadernos de la tierra; this book eventually evolved into four volumes of poems tracing the history of Latin American, with the final volume published in 1961.
In 1961, Adoum was named national director of culture, a position he held until 1963, when he won a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) grant for travel in Asia and the Middle East. However, while he was away his country underwent serious political upheaval and Adoum found himself unable to return to Ecuador. He consequently went to Paris, where he worked for a year as a Spanish teacher. Although Adoum returned to Ecuador and his family in 1965, he and his family went into exile to escape governmental harassment. After living in China for two years, they moved to Paris, and then to Geneva, Switzerland, where Adoum worked for the United Nations. In 1971, he moved back to Paris to work for UNESCO and remained in Paris for many years, continuing to write poetry, plays, and novels. He returned to Ecuador in 1987.
During the next twenty years, Adoum continued to write prolifically. He also translated the work of many important poets into Spanish. Adoum’s work has been recognized as superior for many years. In 1952, he won Ecuador’s National Poetry Prize for the first volume of Los cuadernos de la tierra; the third volume of the book won a poetry prize from the publisher Casa de las Américas in 1960. In 1976, his novel Entre Marx y una mujer desnuda won the Xavier Villarrutia de México Prize. In 1989, Adoum won the coveted Premio Nacional de Cultura Eugenio Espejo for the body of his work. In addition, in 1994 the Universidad Autónomo de Santo Domingo awarded an honorary professorship. Critics agree that Adoum is one of the most important and highly respected writers of Ecuador. He has remained a steadfast social and political commentator, celebrating Latin America as a place and denouncing the widespread exploitation of its people.