A major Spanish writer of the 20th century, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1989. A key figure in the revival of the Spanish post-war novel, he is the author of “The Family of Pascual Duarte” and “The Hive.”
Camilo José Cela(1916 — 2002)
Camilo José Cela
Espagne
5 min read
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Born in 1916 in Iria Flavia (Galicia), died in 2002 in Madrid
- Publishes “The Family of Pascual Duarte” in 1942, which launches the tremendismo movement
- Publishes “The Hive” (La Colmena) in 1951, a social portrait of post-war Madrid
- Receives the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1989
- Receives the Cervantes Prize in 1995 and is made Marquis of Iria Flavia in 1996
Works & Achievements
First novel and founding work of tremendismo, a raw and violent account of a condemned peasant.
An account of a walking journey through a poor region of Spain, a model of the genre in Hispanic literature.
A choral novel of post-war Madrid, long banned in Spain and regarded as his masterpiece.
A literary journal he founded and directed, a space of relative freedom under Francoism.
An experimental novel about the first days of the civil war in Madrid, written in a single breath.
A novel set in Galicia during the civil war, which earned him the National Prize for Literature.
His Nobel Prize lecture, a plea for the freedom of the writer and the power of storytelling.
Anecdotes
In 1942, Cela published his first novel, *The Family of Pascual Duarte*, the brutal story of a peasant condemned to death. The book caused a scandal because of its violence: its second edition was seized by Franco's censors. This raw way of depicting misery would give rise to a literary movement, *tremendismo*.
His masterpiece *The Hive*, which portrays hundreds of starving Madrilenians in the post-war years, could not be published in Spain because of censorship. Cela had to have it printed in **Buenos Aires**, in Argentina, in **1951**. The novel would not circulate officially in his own country until many years later.
During the civil war (**1936-1939**), the young Cela enlisted on the side of Franco's troops and was wounded. After the war, he worked briefly as a censor for the regime, an episode he would later be reproached for — he who was himself so often censored.
In 1948, Cela walked across the poor region of the **Alcarria**, notebook in hand, to record what he saw. This travel account, *Viaje a la Alcarria*, became a classic: in it he jots down conversations, inns and landscapes like a reporter of ordinary life.
In **1989**, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in **Stockholm**. Seven years later, in **1996**, King **Juan Carlos I** made him *Marquis of Iria Flavia*, after the name of his native village in **Galicia**: a writer who became a nobleman thanks to his books.
Primary Sources
I, sir, am not a bad man, though I would not lack reasons for being one.
My novel The Hive is nothing more than a pale reflection, a humble shadow of harsh, endearing, and painful everyday reality.
In it he defends the freedom of the writer and the value of the tale and of the spoken word against imposed fear and silence.
Key Places
Cela's native village, from which he would later take his marquis title. Today it is home to the foundation that bears his name.
City where Cela studied, wrote, and died in 2002. Post-war Madrid is the setting of his novel *The Hive*.
Island where Cela settled and, in 1956, founded the magazine *Papeles de Son Armadans*. He spent much of his writing life there.
A poor region in central Spain that Cela travelled through on foot in 1948. His journey gave rise to a classic of travel writing.
Swedish capital where Cela received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1989. There he delivered his speech "In Praise of the Fable."
Typical Objects
The everyday working tool of the twentieth-century writer, on which Cela typed his novels page after page. The clatter of the keys set the rhythm of his long days of writing.
A small notebook in which Cela jotted down conversations, landscapes and inns during his journey on foot across the Alcarria. It served as the basis for his travel writing.
A literary journal founded and edited by Cela in Majorca from 1956 onwards. It offered a relatively free space for publication under the Franco dictatorship.
A stamp used by the offices of Franco-era censorship to authorize or forbid the publication of a book. Several of Cela's works fell victim to it.
A gold medal awarded in Stockholm in 1989, ranking Cela among the world's great writers. It represents the highest international literary recognition.
A writing instrument used for corrections, correspondence and dedications. The author's intimate tool before typing on the machine.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Daily Life
Morning
Cela was a methodical worker: he rose early and devoted his mornings to writing, demanding silence. He imposed an almost daily discipline on his pen, convinced that inspiration comes from writing regularly.
Afternoon
Afternoons were given over to revision, reading, and his abundant correspondence. There he received editors, journalists, and writers, and tended to his magazine Papeles de Son Armadans.
Evening
In the evening, Cela loved conversation, cafés, and literary gatherings (the Spanish *tertulias*). A public figure and provocateur, he cultivated his image and his witty remarks.
Food
He enjoyed the Spanish and Galician cooking of his day: fish, seafood, soups, and regional dishes. Indeed, food holds a prominent place in his travel writings.
Clothing
Cela wore the elegant suits of a celebrated twentieth-century man of letters. At official ceremonies, such as the awarding of the Nobel Prize, he sported evening dress and, later, the insignia of his title.
Housing
He lived in comfortable houses, notably in Majorca and later in the Madrid region. His home was filled with books, manuscripts, and objects, befitting a prolific writer and collector.
Historical Timeline
Period Vocabulary
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
La Famille de Pascual Duarte
1942
Viaje a la Alcarria
1948
La Ruche (La colmena)
1951
Papeles de Son Armadans (revue)
1956
San Camilo, 1936
1969
Mazurca para dos muertos
1983
Discours « Éloge de la fable »
1989
