Toti Martínez de Lezea


Esperanza Martínez de Lezea García is a Spanish writer who writes both in Spanish and Basque. She is a certified translator in French, English and German. She is also a television presenter and actor; she is one of the founders of the Kukubiltxo theatre company.
Her work reflects her great interest in the European Middle Ages and specially in the history and traditions of the Basque Country. She has also written children's literature. She has written scripts and also directed children's and young people's programmes for EITB.

Biography

Esperanza "Toti" Martínez de Lezea García was born in 1949 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital city of Álava in the Basque Country. She began her undergraduate degree and moved to the region of Goierri of Gipuzkoa, where she stayed for one year studying the Basque language.
She studied French for four years in France, and then English for three years in England, obtaining the corresponding degree and the secretariat of the Pittman School of London. She lived for two years in Germany.
She worked as a translator and an actress. Together with her husband and other young people of the locality of Larrabetzu from Biscay, where she resides, she founded the street theatre company Kukubiltxo, in which she participated for five years.
Between 1983 and 1984 she collaborated with the Department of Education of the Basque Government creating more than 40 educational videos and writing two books about Basque legends and theatrical activities. She also taught courses to the academic personnel of the aforesaid department.
In 1985 she began collaborating with the Basque public television, Euskal Telebista, with a 13-chapter-series about nature themes. Between 1986 and 1992 she wrote and directed 1200 programmes for EITB in Basque for children and young people.
In 1992 returned to her translator and interpreter activities and began a new period of literary activity. She created large sport and animation mascots for different events. Juan Luis Landa become her regular illustrator.
Until now, she has 57 books published, some of which have been translated into French, German, Russian and Chinese.

Novels

La calle de la Judería / Judu-kale Las torres de Sancho / Antsoren Dorreak La Herbolera / Kattalin / Die Heilerin Señor de la guerra Los hijos de Ogaiz / Ogaiztarrak / Les enfants d'Ogaiz La Abadesa / Maria Galanta, Abadesa / Die Äbtissin La voz de Lug La comunera / Die Löwin von Kastilien El verdugo de Dios / Die Madonna von Santiago La cadena rota / Hautsi da katea / La chaîne brisée A la sombra del templo La Brecha / Bretxa El jardín de la oca / Das Geheimnis von Santiago La flor de la argoma / Otalorea Perlas para un collar La Universal Veneno para la corona / Pozoia koroari Mareas / Urak dakarrena Itahisa ENDA / Enda Lur Y todos callaron / Isilpean Gordea Tierra de leche y miel / Esne eta eztizko Lurra ITTUN / Arbasoak ittuna Llanto en la tierra baldía / Malkoak lur antzuan Hierba de brujas / Sorgin belarra La Editorial / ''Egurra S.A.''

Books for children

Nur series

Nur y el gnomo irlandés / Nur eta irlandar gnomoa / Nur i el gnom irlandès / Nur and the leprechaun Nur y la selva misteriosa / Nur eta oihan misteriotsua Nur y el templo del dragón / Nur eta herensugearen tenplua Nur y la casa embrujada / Nur eta etxe sorgindua Nur y el campamento de magia / Nur eta magia-kanpamendua Nur y la alfombra voladora / Nur eta alfonbra hegalaria Nur y la rosa de los vientos / Nur eta haize-arrosa Nur y la isla de las tortugas / Nur eta dortoken uhartea Nur y el libro del tiempo / Nur eta denboraren liburua Nur y la cueva encantada / Nur eta kobazulo liluragarria Nur y el cofre del tesoro / Nur eta altxorraren kutxa Nur y el baile de los vampiros / Nur eta banpiroen dantza Nur y el viaje a Irlanda / Nur eta Irlandara bidaia Nur y el pájaro arco iris / Nur eta ortzadar-txoria Nur y Olentzero / Nur eta Olentzeroa Nur y el circo prodigioso / ''Nur eta zirku miresgarria''

Stories

Un reloj de cu-cu / Kuku erloju bat Un dragón azul / Dragoi urdin bat Una bola de cristal muy especial / Kristalezko bola berezi-berezi bat Un regalo de cumpleaños / Urtemuga-opari bat Una pelota saltarina / Saltoka ibiltzen den pilota bat Un lápiz llamado Pencil / Pencil izeneko arkatz bat Un enanito muy pequeño / Ipotx txiki-txiki bat El cantero y la lamiñaku / ''Hargina eta laminakua''

Young literature

Muerte en el priorato / Heriotza harrigarria El mensajero del rey / Erregearen mezularia La hija de la luna / ''Ilargiaren alaba''

Others

Leyendas de Euskal Herria / Euskal Herriko leiendak Brujas / Sorginak Placeres reales
  • ''Los grafitis de mamá''