Top 5 Spanish writers

Top 5 Spanish writers

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Top 5 Spanish writers

A great way to learn and explore Spanish culture and language is through literature —especially if visiting Spain is on your itinerary.

Literature is an excellent source of insight, not only historical but cultural too. Reading ahead can prove quite useful and, as a result, you could learn some Spanish to absorb the expected culture shock.

Literature takes you on a wild ride as you try to see the world through different authors’ eyes. It is always a great idea to read ahead about the people and culture of the location you plan on touring.

When you think of literature, what often comes to mind is a classic like “The Great Gatsby”, or for the younger readers, “Harry Potter” or “The Hunger Games”. However, Spain has a lot to offer too in terms of literary gold.

In this article, you will explore the top five Spanish Writers. You will know what made them stand out from the crowd as you read about some of their literary work too.

1. Miguel de Cervantes

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Miguel de Cervantes is debatably Spain’s most revered and renowned author. Cervantes was born in Alcalá, located just outside Madrid, in the year 1547. Upon realizing his writing talents, he fled to Rome in pursuit of ingenuity.

Instead, he found himself in the Spanish army and fought the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. After being injured and attempting to return domicile to Spain, Turkish vessels took him captive near Algiers, and he endured five years as a prisoner.

He, at last, returned to Spain in 1570 with some thoughts of literary personas that would come to life in his first drama, Los Tratos de Argel, not forgetting his most well-known work Don Quixote.

Don Quixote will take you on a journey of fantasy and adventure. The book released in parts with the first part released in 1605 and the second part released in 1615. He died shortly after in 1616.

To date, his book, appraised, as a classic work of art, is used as a teaching aid worldwide. Like many writers in his field, Cervantes wrote several other literary contents including, Ocho Comedias y Ocho Entremeses and Los Trabajos de Persiles y Segismunda, 12 Novelas Ejemplares.

In the book Ocho Comedias y Ocho Entremeses, Cervantes bid his fans farewell in odd anticipation of his death.

2. Federico Garcia Lorca

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Federico was part of a group of authors called the “Generación del 27” whose associates all looked up to the author Luis de Góngora. His scripting technique, known as “Culteranismo”, incorporates “dark” topics and uses rhetoric that is hard to comprehend.

Having grown up in the Spanish countryside, Federico would often write of the situation and subjugation of women in the rural populace in 1930.

Of his most famous work is “La casa de Bernada Alba”. A tale of a mother of five and her journey to become the ruler of her household. All this following the sudden death of her husband. Read as you uncover how Bernarda goes from wife to widow to tyrant all in a series of unfolding events.

Federico was gay and quite critical of the Spanish culture, making him unpopular and a target. His life ended during the Spanish Civil war of 1936 — someone murdered him.

3. Miguel de Unamuno

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Unamuno is a member of a group of authors known as the “Generación del 98”. The name came about when Spain lost the war against the United Nations of America in 1898.

As a result, the country had to release a number of its colonies, including Cuba, Filipinas, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Additionally, a volatile political environment characterized this period — this made the society doubtful of their very lives.

Their fears, described in detailed records in the authors’ book “Niebla”, meaning “fog”, has proved to be an accessible read.

The story highlights the plight of a young man seeking direction in life. The main character falls in love, but unfortunately due to rejection from his chosen suitor, he goes into depression and suicidal tendencies emerge.

However, before taking his life, in an exciting turn of events, the character meets the author, Unamuno, and things begin to get even more enjoyable.

4. Emilia Pardo Bazán

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Emilia Pardo Bazan, the pioneer of feminist literature. She is well known and admired with several monuments and locations erected in her honour. Monuments include Galicia, now a museum, and Colegio Público Emília Pardo Bazán, a school.

Emilia had an interest in philosophy, which is noticeable in a lot of her work, for instance, Los Pazos de Ulloa, and La Madre Naturaleza soon after.

In 1876, Emilia placed first in a writing competition in the city of Oviedo. She wrote on ‘the life of Benito Jerónimo Feijoo who was an Enlightenment thinker and also a monk.

The peak of her literary success came with the publication of Insolación and Morriña in 1889. The edition of this book sparked the beginning of the naturalism movement in Spain.

Emilia was quite good at incorporating lessons from her life experiences both as a woman and as an author. Her most famed feminine piece is Biblioteca de la Mujer, which also contains two cookbooks.

As the first woman to receive a chair at the Spanish University in 1916 — she focused on romance languages and modern literature at the Universidad Central located in Madrid.

If you fancy feminist literature, you will want to check out more of her work.

5. Juan Ramón Jiménez

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Juan Ramón Jiménez is a famed Spanish author from the 20^th century. Born in 1881, Juan studied Law at the University of Sevilla. However, this did not come to pass as famed poet Rubén Dario, founder of modernism, swayed him and he relocated to Madrid where he began his literary work — mostly poems.

The Spanish Civil War pushed Juan and his wife out of Madrid as they fled to Puerto Rico, where he worked as a Spanish professor at several institutions. Universities linked to him include the University of Miami, the University of Puerto Rico and the University of Maryland.

He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1956, however, two days after, his wife died of cancer. His most famed works discuss music and colour — Poesía, en vers, Sonetos Espirituales, Voces de mi Copla, and Animales de Fondo.

Now you know the top five Spanish writers. I hope you enjoyed reading this article.