Manuel Oreste Rodríguez López

Category: Writer
Birth Date: 11th December 1934 (†13th February 1990)
Birth Place: Randulfe - San Miguel de Paradela - Paradela (Lugo)

Manuel Rodríguez López. Emigrante Galego. Poeta Obreiro.

Opinión

Biblioteca Virtual GD
 Curriculum

His parents were emigrantes and he lived in Barcelona since he was six until 1987 that he definitively established himself in Lugo. He studied Humanities and Philosophy in the Diocesan Seminary of Barcelona as well as Accountancy and Labour Legislation. He was the administrative head of staff in an iron and steel industry until the factory closed in 1984. Manuel Rodríguez López collaborated regularly in Galician, Catalan and Argentinian media. He published many articles in several newspapers and magazines of Buenos Aires, in ‘Coordenadas’ and ‘Dorna’ as well as in ‘Treboada’ and ‘Alborada’ (Galician Centre of Barcelona). He worked as a correspondent of the newspapers ‘Faro de Vigo’ and ‘El Ideal Gallego’ in Barcelona, where he was known as MANUEL-ORESTE R. L. He also collaborated in ‘El Progeso’ (Lugo), ‘La Voz de Galicia’ and ‘Praza Maior’ (bulletin of the City Council of Lugo). Besides, he collaborated in matters related to Lugo’s history, monuments and trips in ‘Radio Nacional’ (A Coruña) and ‘Radio Popular’ (Lugo).

 Work & Activities

POETRY: Poemas Populares Galegos (1968), Saudade no Bulleiro (1970), Soldada Minima (1979), Onte e Hoxe Vivencial (1995) and A Atlantida (1995), translation into Galician of the Catalan epic pome by Jacint Verdaguer, Manuel Rodríguez López. Poesía Completa (2009), Manuel Rodríguez López. Antoloxía Poética (2014). PROSE: Reencontro coa Aldea (1983), Galegos en Catalunya 1978-1982 (1983), Galegos en Catalunya-2 (1985), Viaxes con Anxel Fole (1988), Festa da Virxe das Dores de Paradela 1989 (1989), book and brochure of the festivity and Volta a España a pé (1990), translation into Galician of the book by Manolo Silva. Besides, he collaborated in several collective books such as Homaxe o Che (1970), A Nosa Terra (in ‘Libro de Oro’, in the centenary of Ramón Cabanillas) (1976), Homenaxe Multinacional a Castelao (1976), Galicia no Ano 1979 (1979), José Mª Acuña (1983), Os escritores lucenses arredor de FOLE (1986), Voces poéticas (1987), Paradela y su concello (1990) and Aliad-Ultreia. Poesia. Pintura (1993).

 Other Interesting Aspects

Manuel Rodríguez López was awarded several literary prizes such as ‘Meigas e Trasgos’ Poetry Prize (Sarria, 1976 and 1980) with his poems Ti es eterno and Neoplasia, respectively; ‘Xosé Mª Chao Ledo’ prize in the Third Vilalba Literary Contest (1977) with A Emigrante and the first prize of Begonte Literary Contest (1985) with his work Noite de nadal. He was awarded the first ‘Nós’ Prize (Barcelona, 1980) with the theatre play Vivimos unha longa traxedia. He was also awarded ‘Meigas e Trasgos’ Prize for his tales A meiguiñameiga e os trasgos (1977) and Quen me dera atoparme co trasgo (1986) and a prize in Baracaldo in 1978 for his work Baixa voluntaria (1978). In 1985 and 1987 he was finalist in the ‘Galicia’ Journalism Prizes. After his death, he was nominated as ‘honorary citizen’ of Paradela and ‘lucense del año’ in 1989. In 1990, ‘Manuel Rodríguez López’ Cultural Centre was opened in Paradela and the new ‘Manuel Rodríguez López’ Social and Cultural Centre in 2001. ‘Manuel Oreste Rodríguez López’ Literary Contest has been celebrating since 1995, organised by the City Council of Paradela. Bibliography about Manuel Rodríguez López: Gran Enciclopedia Gallega, Medio cento de galegos e Rosalía, 88 gallegos: una tierra a traves de sus gentes, De Pondal a Novoneyra, Diccionario de escritores en lingua galega,…. Suso Vaamonde, Xerardo Moscoso, Alfredo González and Mª Carmen Otero set some of his poems to music in many recitals.