Juan Gil-Albert
Juan Gil-Albert (1906-1994) was a prominent Spanish poet and writer known for his evocative exploration of themes related to exile, beauty, and the human condition. Born in Alcoy, Spain, he pursued law at the University of Valencia but shifted his focus to literature, drawing inspiration from celebrated authors like Ramón del Valle-Inclán and Oscar Wilde. His early works included prose and poetry that reflected the socio-political turmoil of his time, particularly during the Spanish Civil War, which influenced collections such as "Candente horror" and "Siete romances de guerra."
In 1939, Gil-Albert went into exile in Mexico due to the civil war, where he connected with other Spanish intellectuals and contributed to literary reviews. After returning to Spain in 1947, he gradually gained recognition, culminating in several prestigious literary awards, including the Juan Ramon Jimenez Prize. His most acclaimed work, "Homenajese in promptus," published in 1975, exemplifies his ability to balance personal and universal themes. Despite facing challenges in his personal life, such as managing his family's business, Gil-Albert's literary legacy was solidified through various honors, including a street named after him in Alcoy and the establishment of the Instituto Juan Gil-Albert.
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Subject Terms
Juan Gil-Albert
Writer
- Born: April 1, 1906
- Birthplace: Alcoy, Spain
- Died: 1994
- Place of death: Valencia, Spain
Biography
Juan Gil-Albert was born April 1, 1906, in Alcoy, Spain. His father, Ricardo Gil, owned a hardware business. He had two sisters, Cristina and Elena. In 1912, his family moved to Valencia and built a country home, El Salt, outside Alcoy. In 1920, Gil-Albert enrolled as a law student at the University of Valencia. While there, he began reading literature, including works by Ramón del Valle-Inclán, Oscar Wilde, and Gabriel Miró. In 1922, he visited Tours, France, where he studied French and read the work of Michel de Montaigne. Upon his return to Valencia, he left law school in order to pursue his literary career. He financed the publication of his first two books, the prose works La fascinación de lo irreal (the fascination of the unreal) and Vibración de estío (vibration of summer), published in 1927 and 1928.
Gil-Albert’s first collection of poetry, Misteriosa presencia, published in 1936, was a series of sonnets. His second collection, Candente horror, published in 1937, took a political turn and showed the surrealist influence of Pablo Neruda. His third collection, Siete romances de guerra, published in 1937, consisted of ballads about the Spanish civil war. In 1939, he moved to Mexico City, Mexico, where he lived for eight years in exile. While in Mexico, he associated with other intellectual Spanish exiles and earned a living by contributing to reviews and working as secretary of the review Taller under the direction of Octavio Paz. He also lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In 1947 he returned to Spain. His sister’s husband had died, so he went home to help care for her five children. His father died in 1950, leaving him the family business. He was not successful in this venture and had to sell the country home, El Salt. However, his literary reputation began to grow. In 1972, some of his poems were included in the anthology La generación poetica de 1936. He published several works in 1974. Homenajese in promptus, published in 1975, was his most-acclaimed volume of poetry because of its exquisite balance between the personal and the universal. He died in 1994.
Gil-Albert received several literary prizes, including the 1975 Juan Ramon Jimenez Prize, the 1976 Pablo de Olavide Prize, the 1979 Aldebarán Prize, and the 1982 Prize for Valencian Letters. His birthplace, the city of Alcoy, Spain, named a street after him in 1978 and awarded him a gold medal after naming him the city’s favorite son in 1983. The Universitat d’Alcante awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1999 and established the Instituto Juan Gil-Albert in his honor.
Known as a poet of exile, Juan Gil-Albert did not receive literary recognition until very late in his career, when he received numerous awards. A product of the Spanish civil war, his poetry, often in the form of soliloquy, is notable for its attention to beauty and its ability to transcend personal experience. In the process, it reaches reaching a level of universal human concern.