Joan Margarit
Joan Margarit i Consarnau was a Catalan poet, architect and professor. Most of his work is written in the Catalan language. He won the 2019 Miguel de Cervantes Prize.
Life and career
Born in Sanaüja to Joan Margarit i Serradell, an architect from Barcelona, and Trinitat Consarnau i Sabaté, a teacher at l'Ametlla de Mar, he grew up at the time of the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War. His family moved to various locations in Catalonia. In 1954, they settled in the Canary Islands, but in 1956 Margarit returned to Barcelona to complete his architecture studies, lodging at the University hall of residence the Col·legi Major Sant Jordi. A year after he finished his studies, he met Mariona Ribalta and they married a year later. They had three daughters and a son.From 1975, Margarit lived in Sant Just Desvern and from 1980, worked there as an architect with his friend and associate Carle Buxadé. In addition, from 1968 until recently, he was Professor of Structural Calculations at Technical School of Architecture, Barcelona, part of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.
Margarit started publishing poetry in Spanish in 1963. After a ten-year break, he published Crónica with help from his friend Joaquim Marco, director of the Ocnos series at the publishing house Barral Editores. From 1980 onwards, he began to establish himself as a poet in the Catalan language. His works have been translated into English, Russian and Hebrew. Recitations of Margarit's poems with musical backdrops have been recorded by the musicians Pere Rovira, Gerard Quintana, Araceli Aiguaviva and Miquel Poveda.
In October 2008, Margarit received the Premio Nacional de Poesía for his Casa de Misericordia.
He died aged 82 on 16 February 2021 in Sant Just Desvern after suffering from cancer.
Awards
- Vicent Andrés Estellés Award
- Miquel de Palol Award
- Critics Prize erra d’Or
- Flower Nature Floral Games of Barcelona
- National Critics Award
- Carles Riba Award
- Cadaqués to Quima Jaume Award
- Cavall Verd Award
- National Literature Award of the Generalitat of Catalonia
- Rosalía de Castro Award
- National Prize for Poetry
- Premio Víctor Sandoval Poetas del Mundo Latino
- Poetry Book Society Recommended Translation
- Jaume Fuster Award, of the Associació d’Escriptors en LLengua Catalana
- Pablo Neruda Ibero-American Poetry Award
- Miguel de Cervantes Prize
Works
Essays in Spanish
- Nuevas cartas a un joven poeta, Barril & Barral, 2009. English translation by Christopher Maurer, Chicago, Swan Isle Press, 2011.
Poetry in Catalan this bibliography is not up to date
L'ombra de l'altre mar Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1981Vell malentès València: Eliseu Climent/3i4, 1981El passat i la joia Vic: Eumo, 1982Cants d'Hekatònim de Tifundis Barcelona: La Gaia Ciència, 1982Raquel: la fosca melangia de Robinson Crusoe Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1983L'ordre del temps Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1985Mar d'hivern Barcelona: Proa, 1986Cantata de Sant Just Alacant: Institut d'Estudis Juan Gil-Albert, 1987La dona del navegant Barcelona: La Magrana, 1987Llum de plua Barcelona: Península, 1987Poema per a un fris Barcelona: Escola d'Arquitectes de Barcelona, 1987Edat roja Barcelona: Columna, 1990Els motius del llop Barcelona: Columna, 1993Aiguaforts Barcelona: Columna, 1995Remolcadors entre la boira Argentona: L'Aixernador, 1995; translated to English as Tugs in the Fog, Anna Crowe Estació de França Madrid: Hiperión, 1999Poesia amorosa completa Barcelona: Proa, 2001Joana Barcelona: Proa, 2002Els primers freds. Poesia 1975-1995 Barcelona: Proa, 2004Càlcul d’estructures Barcelona: Col. Óssa Menor, Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2005Casa de Misericòrdia Barcelona: Col. Óssa Menor, Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2007Misteriosament feliç Barcelona: Col. Óssa Menor, Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2008Noves cartes a un jove poeta Barcelona: Col. Óssa Menor, Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2009No era lluny ni difícil Barcelona: Col. Óssa Menor, Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2010Other translated works
- In Russian:
- In English:
- In Hebrew: