Manuel Altolaguirre
Manuel Altolaguirre was a multifaceted Spanish artist born in 1905 in Malaga. Recognized as a key figure among the Generation of 1927, a group of avant-garde poets and artists, he made significant contributions as a poet, editor, filmmaker, and translator. In 1924, he co-founded a print shop with fellow poet Emilio Prados, and two years later, they launched the literary magazine *Litoral*, which showcased prominent writers such as Garcia Lorca and Miguel Hernandez. Altolaguirre's career spanned various cities, including London and Paris, where he continued to publish bilingual poetry while abroad. He returned to Madrid in 1935, maintaining his literary contributions alongside his own poetry collections, including *Soledades juntas* and *Fin de un amor*. Following the Spanish Civil War, he lived in Cuba and Mexico, focusing on filmmaking and producing notable works like *Subida al cielo*, which received acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival. Tragically, Altolaguirre’s life ended in a car accident in 1959 while returning to Madrid from a film festival, leaving behind a rich legacy in literature and film.
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Subject Terms
Manuel Altolaguirre
Playwright, Screenwriter and Poet
- Born: June 29, 1904
- Birthplace: Malaga, Spain
- Died: July 26, 1959
- Place of death: Burgos, Spain
Biography
Manuel Altolaguirre was born in 1905 in Malaga, Spain. Throughout his short life he would accomplish a wide range of achievements as a poet, editor, filmmaker, printer, anthologizer, and finally a translator. Altolaguirre was the youngest of the Generation of 1927, a group of artists and lyricists, who put tremendous emphasis on carefree, avant-garde attitudes and creativity.
In 1924, Altolaguirre and Emilio Prados, a good friend and fellow poet, opened their own print shop and two years later established the literary magazine Litoral, which became renowned for publishing the works of Garcia Lorca, Miguel Hernandez, Rafael Alberti, and Luis Cernuda. In the 1930, Altolaguirre left Spain to begin lecturing in cities such as London and Paris. Even though he was away from Spain, his printing press came with him; indeed he published bilingual versions of Spanish and English Romantic and modern poetry while in England.
In 1935, Altolaguirre returned to Madrid, where he continued to publish the works of authors such as Alberti and Pablo Neruda. While publishing others’ works, Altolaguirre continued to write and publish his own. His books of poetry include Poesías completas, which contains only thirty of the three hundred poems he wrote between 1926 and 1959, in 1960; Soledades juntas in 1931; Las islas invitadas in 1936; and Fin de un amor in 1949.
After the Spanish Civil War, Altolaguirre left Spain to live abroad in Cuba and Mexico. During that time, he concentrated on film making; he wrote and produced films such as Subida al cielo, which won the Cannes Critics Prize in 1952, and El cantar de los cantares in 1959. During this time he also continued to write criticism and translations.
In 1952, Altolaguirre returned to visit Spain. In 1959, Altolaguirre died in a car accident in Burgos; he was returning to Madrid from a film festival in San Sebastian.