Salvador Espriu
Salvador Espriu was a prominent Spanish poet and writer, born on July 10, 1913, in Santa Coloma de Farners, Spain. He spent much of his early life in Barcelona, where he graduated in law and ancient history from the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. Although he initially pursued a career in law, running an insurance firm and later managing a successful law practice, Espriu dedicated significant time to writing. His literary debut came with the publication of "Israel: Esbozos bíblicos" in 1929, followed by his first poetry collection, "Cementiri de Sinera," in 1946, which encapsulates his characteristic minimalist aesthetics and existential themes.
Espriu's work often confronted the cultural tensions between Catalonia and the Spanish state, particularly in the context of the Spanish Civil War. His notable collections, such as "La pell de brau," reflect on Catalan life and have been adapted for the stage. Over his lifetime, he received numerous prestigious awards, including the Montaigne Prize and the Premi d'Honor de las Lletres Catalanes, and was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature twice. His literary legacy is marked by a profound exploration of the relationship between the individual and society, making him a key figure in Catalan literature. Espriu passed away on February 22, 1985, leaving behind a rich body of work that continues to be celebrated today.
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Subject Terms
Salvador Espriu
Fiction and Nonfiction Writer and Poet
- Born: July 10, 1913
- Birthplace: Santa Coloma de Farners, Girona, Spain
- Died: February 22, 1985
- Place of death: Barcelona, Spain
Biography
Salvador Espriu was born July 10, 1913, in Santa Coloma de Farners, Spain. His parents were Francesc Espriu i Torres (a lawyer) and Escolastica Castello i Molas de Espriu. In 1915, his family moved to Barcelona. They vacationed yearly in the coastal town of Arenys. He graduated from the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona in 1924 with a degree in law and a licentiate in ancient history.
Although Espriu had wanted an academic career, after graduation he directed an insurance firm established by his brother Josep, a physician. In 1940, his father died, leaving him a successful law practice. Espriu headed the firm for twenty years and wrote in his free time. In 1929, he published his first book, Israel: Esbozos biblicos, a collection of biblical sketches. He published his first collection of poetry, Cementiri de Sinera (Sinera’s cemetery), in 1946. Written in Catalan, the poems exhibit the minimalist aesthetics and the existential melancholic worldview typical of Espriu’s writing. Works such as Obra lírica (lyrical work), published in 1952, address the Spanish Civil War. La pell de brau (the bull-hide), published in 1960, depicts Catalan life. This collection of poems was adapted for the stage. Espriu continued a prodigious publishing career through the 1980’s. He died of heart failure on February 22, 1985.
Espriu’s awards include the 1970 Montaigne Prize from the University of Tübingen, the 1971 Premi d’Honor de las Lletres Catalanes, and the 1972 Premi de la Crítica. In 1980, he received two honorary doctorates, one from the University of Barcelona and one from the University of Toulouse. In 1981, he received the Premi Ciutat de Barcelona. And in 1982, he received a gold medal from Barcelona and a gold medal from Catalonia. He was nominated for a Nobel Prize for Literature in both 1970 and 1980. A prolific writer of poetry, short stories, novels, plays, and literary criticism, Salvador Espriu distinguished himself with his explorations of the tensions between poet and society and the cultural tensions between the Catalan people and the Spanish state.