The Renewal of Galician Prose (1936-1976): From Social Realism to Mythical Worlds
Eduardo Blanco Amor
Eduardo Blanco Amor began his literary and journalistic career in his hometown, where he attended high school and connected with intellectuals. Years later, he emigrated to Argentina and became deeply involved in cultural activities. Although he returned to Spain several times as a news correspondent, the Spanish Civil War, beginning in 1936, forced him into exile in America.
Narrative Production
- The Esmorga (1959) – Novel
- The Moon (1962) – Novel
- Far Celebrities (1972) – Reports
Blanco Amor’s The Esmorga, first published in Buenos Aires, marked a turning point in Galician narrative. He became a leading figure in social realism, a movement he significantly shaped.
Blanco Amor’s Social Realism
Blanco Amor’s social realism is characterized by:
- An urban setting where all events unfold.
- A focus on the problems of the lower classes: poverty, hunger, and crime.
- Extensive use of perspectivism, adopting a particular point of view.
- Use of popular language to reflect the authentic speech of the depicted classes.
Alvaro Cunqueiro
Alvaro Cunqueiro’s childhood in Mondoñedo profoundly influenced his life and work. He connected with the people, the landscape, and the rich tradition of oral literature. After a happy childhood, which he would later reminisce about in his writing, he moved to Lugo for high school, where he befriended Anxeles Bellows and Luis Pimentel. In 1961, he joined the Royal Galician Academy, and from 1965 to 1970, he directed the Faro de Vigo.
Narrative Production
- Merlin and Family (1955)
- The Chronicles of Sochantre (1956)
- If the Old Sinbad Returns to the Islands (1972)
- School of Menciñeiros (1960)
- People Here and There (1971)
- The Other Merchants (1979)
Cunqueiro’s Mythical World
Cunqueiro’s writing is characterized by:
- A blend of realism and fantasy, merging the everyday with the legendary.
- The incorporation of myths from other traditions into Galician literature, often playfully.
- The use of landscape as a positive symbolic function.
- A combination of cultivated and popular language.
Los Angeles Bellows
After completing his Bachelor of Arts in Lugo, Los Angeles Bellows studied Philosophy and Literature, followed by Law, at the Universities of Santiago and Valladolid. During these early years, he began working in the press and became involved in the activities of the Galician Party. However, the outbreak of the Civil War interrupted his political engagement. He spent the first few years of the postwar period in various locations within the province of Lugo before returning to the city of Lugo in 1953. He continued his literary and journalistic work there until his death.
Narrative Production
- In Light of the Oil Lamp (1953)
- Terra Brava (1955)
- Tales of the Fog (1973)
- No One Believes Stories (1981)
The Tales of Bellows
Bellows’s tales are characterized by:
- Rural Galicia as the central theme, reflecting the author’s deep familiarity with its landscape and the living conditions of its people.
- A foundation in the popular oral tradition of storytelling, both in terms of themes and techniques.
- A constant blend of humor and fear, reality, and fantastical or magical elements.
- The recreation of the speech patterns of the Lugo region, which he knew intimately, reproducing its dialectal features.
Xosé Neira Vilas
Born into a peasant family, Xosé Neira Vilas emigrated to America at the age of nineteen. His childhood and experiences with rural emigration became defining aspects of his life and profoundly influenced his literary work. He settled in Cuba, where he completed his education. Later in life, he returned to Galicia and resided in his native village of Gres.
Narrative Production
- Memoirs of a Peasant Boy (1961)
- Letters to Lelo (1971)
- Those Years of Moncho (1977)
- Lunch at Castor (1965)
- The Woman of Iron (1969)
- Bretemoso Way (1967)
- Stories of Immigrants (1969)
- Swirling Shadows (1973)
- Dick Man (1999)
The New Galician Narrative: Characteristics, Authors, and Representative Works
Jose Luis Mendez Ferrin
Narrative Production
- Percival and Other Stories (1958)
- The Dusk and the Ants (1961)
- Northern Suburb (1964)
- Return to Tagen Ata (1971)
- Ellipses and Other Shadows (1974)
- And Antonio the Innocent (1976)
- Chronicle of Us (1980)
- Britain, Emeraldine (1987)
- In the Womb of Silence (1999)
- Love Arthur (1982)
- Arnoia, Arnoia (1987)
- Arraiano (1991)
Within the New Galician Narrative, we can distinguish three main trends:
- The recreation of characters and settings from Arthurian legends, as seen in Percival and Other Stories or Love Arthur.
- The exploration of absurdity, angst, and even violence as destructive consequences of individual and collective submission to oppressive power.
- The development of a unique personal mythology.
Carlos Casares
In his youth, Carlos Casares participated in literary gatherings in Ourense, where he met Vicente Risco. Drawn to Galician culture and the world of literature, he moved to Santiago to study Philosophy and Literature. He later became the director of Editorial Galaxia and, in his later years, the President of the Council of Galician Culture.
Narrative Production
- Wind Wounded (1967)
- Switching Between (1969)
- Toys for a Time Prohibited (1975)
- The Dark Dreams of Clio (1979)
- Ilustrísima (1980)
- The Dead of That Summer (1987)
- God, Sitting in an Armchair Blue (1996)
- The Summer Sun (2002)
Maria Jose Queizan
From her adolescence, Maria Jose Queizan actively participated in both politics and various cultural projects, including theater, media, and organizing meetings with writers. She earned a degree in Philosophy and Literature and worked as a Language and Literature teacher in a Brazilian city.
Narrative Production
- In the Ear Hole (1960)
- Armant (1984)
- Similarity (1988)
- Amor de Tango (1992)
- The Twilight of Cupletista (2003)