Joana Raspall is one of the most relevant writers of children's literature in Catalan; her poetry is, nowadays, highly popular and her social impact can be compared with that of Gloria Fuertes, a writer in Spanish who is contemporary of Raspall; Maria Mulet belongs to this same generation, too.
Raspall belongs to a tradition of women dedicated to writing literature for children and teenagers during the first third of the 20th century. Lola Anglada stands out in this group, but there are many other relevant names, like Maria Perpinyà and Carme Karr. Her work was published mostly from the 1980s on, when regulated education in Catalan was reinstated in schools; her work was a fundamental tool for the standardisation of the language, specially among children. Carme Miquel and Rosa Serrano also contributed to the cause.
Joana Raspall i Juanola
Barcelona 01-07-1913 ‖ Sant Feliu de Llobregat 04-12-2013
Period of activity: From 1929 until 2013
Geographical classification: Europe > Spain
Socio-cultural movements
Late modern period / Contemporary period > Literary and cultural movements since the end of the 19th century > Literature from the first third of the 20th century
Late modern period / Contemporary period > Literary and cultural movements since the end of the 19th century > Literature since the last third of the 20th century
Late modern period / Contemporary period > Socio-political movements > Civil rights movements
Groups by dedication
Activists > Feminists (activists)
Technologists > Librarians
Humanistics > Philologists / Linguists > Lexicographers
Humanistics > Philologists / Linguists
Writers > Poets
Writers > Story writers
Writers > Dramatists / Playwrights
Writers > Journalists / Chroniclers
Educators > School teachers
Context of feminine creation
Review
This author stands out for her contribution to children's and young adults' literature, in particular for bringing poetry closer to children. Besides, she also wrote dramas and narrative, and she collaborated in regional publication and theatre groups. On the other hand, she developed an important work in lexicography. Joana Raspall was also involved in spreading culture, Catalan culture in particular. Her work is constantly reissued, and has become popular in several audiovisual and musical formats.
Justifications
Biography
Joana Raspall i Juanola was born in Barceloneta on July 1, 1913. At the age of three, her family moved to Sant Feliu de Llobregat. She studied at the local school and, when she was ten, she moved to Perpignan to study French. She returned a year later, after her father's death.
At the age of fourteen she started her literary and Catalanist activity. She published her writings in Catalan in magazines from Sant Feliu such as El Eco del Llobregat, Camí and Claror. Together with other young people, she started a campaign to request a children's library for her town. Their petition would reach Jordi Rubió, Director of the Library of Catalonia, who encouraged her to study to become a librarian. Some of her teachers were Carles Riba and Clementina Arderiu. After finishing her studies, she found a job at the library in Vilafranca del Penedès, where she worked until the national front attacked the city. With her co-worker, they saved part of the library's archive, in particular books written in Catalan, to help them from falling into Franco soldiers’ hands.
After the war, she got a job as an administrative, and in 1941 she married Doctor Cauhé, with whom she had three daughters and a son. She resumed her literary activity writing and publishing verses and texts in Catalan in clandestine spaces or those which were able to avoid censorship: Floral Games, contests, popular celebrations...
She was also a Catalan teacher and in 1972 she published a thesaurus, together with Jaume Riera. She also published a dictionary of expressions and idioms (1984) and one of homonyms and paronyms (1988), both in collaboration with Joan Martí.
In 1967, she received the Cavall Fort Award for her drama play for children El Pou. She participated in the I Congrés de Cultura Catalana (1975-1977) in which, together with other people interested in children's theatre in Catalan, she promoted the creation of the children's theatre collection in Catalan in the publishing house Edebé.
Her first collection of poems, entitled Petits poemes per a nois i noies was published in 1981, and received the poetry special mention of the Crítica Serra d'Or award. But it was from the 1990s onwards when she started publishing regularly a collection of poems for children: Bon dia, poesia (1996), Degotall de poemes (1997), Versos amics (1998), among others, thus consolidating, with over a dozen books published, her career in this genre. She also published four poetry collections for adults and in 2007, she published her only novel, Diamants i culs de got. In 2008, she published the collection of stories El cau de les heures.
Joana Raspall was a promoter of the creation of the Martí Dot award for poetry, and was part of its jury. She collaborated in the magazine Va i ve in San Feliu while it was edited, in a regular section about language. She participated in literary gatherings in her town, visited schools and took part in talks and literary events. She never stopped writing poetry.
She died in Sant Feliu de Llobregat on December 4, 2013.
Works
English
Catalan
Novels:
(2007). Diamants i culs de got. Saldes: Abadia Editors
Children and young adult narrative:
(1994). El mal vent. Barcelona: Cruïlla
(1994). Contes del si és no és . Barcelona: Publicacions de l'Abadia de Montserrat
(1996). La corona de l'àliga . Vilafranca del Penedès: Vilatana, 1998 (2nd ed. reviewed)
(1999). Contes increïbles. Barcelona: La Galera
(2000). La trampa de la urbanització K. Barcelona: Baula
Short stories:
(2008). El cau de les heures. Saldes: Abadia Editors
(2010). El calaix del mig. El rellotge vell. Saldes: Abadia Editors
Poetry:
(2004). Arpegis. Haikús. Saldes: Abadia Editors
(2009). Instants (haikus i tankas). Sant Feliu de Llobregat: Edicions del Llobregat
(2010). Jardí vivent. Vilanova i la Geltrú: El Cep i la Nansa
Children’s and young adults’ poetry:
(1981). Petits poemes per a nois i noies. Barcelona: Daimon; Barcelona: Barcanova, 2017
(1991). Ales i camins. Barcelona: Columna
(1994). Llum i gira-sols. Poesia jove. Barcelona: Columna
(1996; 2013). Bon dia, poesia!. Barcelona: Baula.
(1997; 2003; 2013). Degotall de poemes. Barcelona: La Galera.
(1998). Pinzellades en vers. Barcelona: Baula
(1998; 2013). Com el plomissol. Poemes i faules. Barcelona: La Galera.
(2008). Versos amics. Barcelona: Publicacions de l'Abadia de Montserra.
(1998; 2000). Serpentines de versos. Barcelona: Publicacions de l'Abadia de Montserrat
(2002). Escaleta al vent. Barcelona: La Galera
(2003; 2013). Font de versos. Barcelona: Baula.
(2003; 2005). A compàs dels versos. Barcelona: La Galera.
(2004). Concert de poesia. Barcelona: Publicacions de l'Abadia de Montserrat
(2011). El meu món de poesia. Vilanova i la Geltrú: El Cep i la Nansa
(2013). Divuit poemes de Nadal i un de Cap d'Any. Barcelona: Mediterrània
(2013). 46 poemes i 2 contes. Barcelona: Publicacions de l'Abadia de Montserrat
(2013). Poemes per a tot l'any. Barcelona: Baula
(2014). Bestiolari de Joana Raspall. [cur. Josep M. Aloy]. Lleida: Pagès
Drama:
(1964). L'ermita de Sant Miquel . Barcelona: Millà
Children's theatre:
(1994). El pou. Barcelona: Tremoleda, 1969; Barcelona: La Galera
(1978). L'invent. Barcelona: Edebé
(1984). Kònsum, S.A. Barcelona: Edebé
Translated works:
(1994). El pozo [El Pou]. Barcelona: La Galera, (Trad. Angelina Gatell)
Discography:
(2013). L'hora perduda [music by Jordi Domènech]. Barcelona: Secretariat de Corals Infantils de Catalunya, col. Acuitacantar núm. 9
Completed works:
(2013). Batec de paraules. Poesia lírica completa. Vilanova i la Geltrú: El Cep i la Nansa; 2021
Others:
(1972; 1975; 1996; 2012). Diccionari pràctic de sinònims catalans: mots i frases [with Jaume Riera Sans]. Barcelona: Edicions 62.
(1984). Diccionari de locucions i frases fetes [with Joan Martí]. Barcelona: Edicions 62.
(1988). Diccionari d'homònims i parònims [amb Joan Martí]. Barcelona: Barcanova.
(1993). 50 anys Centre Parroquial: cinquanta anys de records. Sant Feliu de Llobregat: Gràfica Ideal.
Source: https://www.escriptors.cat/autors/raspallj/obra
Didactic approach
Valencian language and literature in 1st of ESO.
Spanish language and literature in 1st of ESO.
Her poem "Podries" can be worked on in ethical values and in geography and history, to explain migrations.