José Ángel Valente Docasar

Category: Poet
Birth Date: 25th April 1929 (†18th July 2000)
Birth Place: Ourense
 Curriculum

In his native city, he spent part of his childhood and adolescence. He studied Law at Santiago University and Romance Philology in Madrid. Between 1955 and 1958 he worked as a Spanish Professor at Oxford University and was given the degree ?Master of Arts?. In 1958, he moved to Geneva, where he spent most of his life and worked as a teacher and translator in international organisms. In 1986, he came back to Spain and settled down in Almería although he also spent some time in Geneva.

 Work & Activities

He first wrote poetry when he was still a student. From that period onwards he received several prizes with works such as A modo de esperanza (1954), Poemas de Lázaro (1960), La memoria y los signos (1966), Siete presentaciones (1967), Breve son (1968), Presentación y memorial para un monumento (1970), El inocente (1970), Interior con figuras (1976), Material memoria (1979), Tres lecciones de tinieblas (1980), Sete cantigas de alén (1981), Mandorla (1982), El fulgor (1984) and No amanece el cantor (1992). In 1998, he published a poetic anthology that sums up his development from 1953 to 1996. Although Valente is mainly important because of his poetic production, he also published some narrative books such as El número trece (1971), El fin de la edad de planta (1973) and Nueve enunciaciones (1982). He also wrote some literary essays like Las palabras de la tribu (1971), Ensayos sobre Miguel de Molinos (1974), La piedra y el centro (1983) and Variaciones sobre el pájaro y la red (1991).

 Other Interesting Aspects

He bestowed his library of about 7,000 volumes on the University of Santiago, where he was conferred the title of ?Doctor Honoris Causa?. For his literary production he was awarded "Principe de Asturias" Prize (Arts) and "Reina Sofía" Prize (Poetry). In 1993 he was awarded Castelao's Medal.