Geographical classification

Europe > Spain

Socio-cultural movements

Late modern period / Contemporary period > Late modern philosophy > Existentialism

Late modern period / Contemporary period > Feminism

Late modern period / Contemporary period > Literary and cultural movements since the end of the 19th century > Post-war literature > Existential literature

Late modern period / Contemporary period > Literary and cultural movements since the end of the 19th century > Post-war literature > Social literature

Late modern period / Contemporary period > Socio-political movements > Labor movement > Socialism

Late modern period / Contemporary period > Movements in cinema > European cinema

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

Groups by dedication

Rulers > Politicians

Activists > Feminists (activists)

Humanistics > Feminists (intellectuals)

Educators > Pedagogues

Writers > Story writers

Writers > Dramatists / Playwrights

Writers > Essayists

Writers > Translators

Writers > Orators

Writers > Autobiographers

Writers > Journalists / Chroniclers > Columnists

Writers > Journalists / Chroniclers > Literary, music, etc. critics

Plastic, visual and performing artists > Scriptwriters

Plastic, visual and performing artists > Stage designers

Plastic, visual and performing artists > Actresses

Character
Maria

Maria Aurèlia Capmany i Farnés

Barcelona 03-03-1918 ‖ Barcelona 02-10-1991

Period of activity: From 1947 until 1990

Geographical classification: Europe > Spain

Socio-cultural movements

Late modern period / Contemporary period > Late modern philosophy > Existentialism

Late modern period / Contemporary period > Feminism

Late modern period / Contemporary period > Literary and cultural movements since the end of the 19th century > Post-war literature > Existential literature

Late modern period / Contemporary period > Literary and cultural movements since the end of the 19th century > Post-war literature > Social literature

Late modern period / Contemporary period > Socio-political movements > Labor movement > Socialism

Late modern period / Contemporary period > Movements in cinema > European cinema

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

Groups by dedication

Rulers > Politicians

Activists > Feminists (activists)

Humanistics > Feminists (intellectuals)

Educators > Pedagogues

Writers > Story writers

Writers > Dramatists / Playwrights

Writers > Essayists

Writers > Translators

Writers > Orators

Writers > Autobiographers

Writers > Journalists / Chroniclers > Columnists

Writers > Journalists / Chroniclers > Literary, music, etc. critics

Plastic, visual and performing artists > Scriptwriters

Plastic, visual and performing artists > Stage designers

Plastic, visual and performing artists > Actresses

Context of feminine creation

Maria Aurèlia Capmany is one of the storytellers who was born before 1936 and became known during the post-war period and among whom we find the storytellers and novelists Maria Ibars, Beatriu Civera, Maria Dolors Orriols, Maria Beneyto and Carmelina Sánchez-Cutillas . All of them kept contemporary narrative in Catalan alive during the difficult years of the Franco dictatorship. This contemporary narrative was started in the switch from the 19th to the 20th century by authors like Dolors Monserdà or Caterina Albert (Víctor Català) and continued by writers like Mercè Rodoreda, Aurora Bertrana, Maria Teresa Vernet, Carme Montoriol, Anna Murià or Elvira Augusta Lewi.

Her essayistic work will have significance for younger writers, especially Montserrat Roig, who will vindicate her as a literary, feminist and Catalanist reference, or for Isabel-Clara Simó. As for Capmany's memorialistic prose, it can be related to that of her contemporaries Teresa Pàmies or, again, Maria Dolors Orriols.
 

Review

Maria Aurèlia Capmany (1918-1991) was a Catalan writer, pedagogue and politician. With a modern vision and a vital attitude towards the world, the author questioned reality and reflected on it critically, not only in her teaching, but also in her works, ranging from narrative to theatre, including essays, screenplays, literary criticism, memoirs or translations. She became a famous political reference for her feminist, Catalanist and left-wing thoughts, as well as for her commitment to the freedom and equality of people.  

Justifications

  • A prolific writer with a solid and continuous career.
  • Versatile: novels, theatre, essays, research and translations.
  • With a transgressive and provocative work that invites us to question reality and reflect on it.
  • Committed to the struggle for freedom, she aligned herself with anti-Francoism, socialism and Catalanism.
  • Introducer of modern feminism in Catalonia, of which she was an active defender.

Biography

Maria Aurèlia Capmany was born in Barcelona on the 3rd of August 1918. During the Francoist repression in the 1940s, she combined her participation in clandestine cultural activities with her studies in Philosophy at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, ​​which she paid for with her work as a glass engraver. Her literary career began in 1947 with the novel Necessitem morir, finalist at the Joanot Martorell Awards. However, this work wasn't published until 1952.
In the 50s, as well as being the director of an educational centre where she taught philosophy, she was awarded a grant by the Institut Français and studied in the Sorbonne Université during the year 1952-1953. Together with Ricard Salvat, in the 60s, she motivated the creation of the foundation of the dramatic arts school Escola d'Art Dramàtic Adrià Gual, where she adapted works, interpreted characters and directed theatrical pieces. In 1960 she premiered her first play, Tu i l'hipòcrita: comèdia predicada, en dos actes.

During the 1980s, she didn't only continue to cultivate novels and plays regularly, but she also translated French and Italian literary works. She collaborated with the daily press writing articles and essays, a task she combined with her constant public presence on radio and television and public events in which she dealt with cultural, historical, political and social issues, especially in the feminist movement. After all, her last period alive was marked, especially, by social and political activism, as she was Councillor for Culture at Barcelona City Council from 1983 to 1991, in charge of Editions and Publications. Maria Aurèlia Capmany died on October 2, 1991 in Barcelona, ​​after a long literary, political and activist career.

 Source: Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 
https://www.crai.urv.cat/ca/recursos-informacio/col-leccions-especials/llegat-vidal-capmany/biografia-maria-aurelia-capmany/  (retrieved on 28/03/2022).

Works

ESSAY:

(1966). La Dona a Catalunya: consciència i situació. Barcelona: Edicions 62 

(1968). La Dona catalana. Barcelona: Mateu, DL 

(1969). La Joventut és una nova classe?. Barcelona: Edicions 62 

(1970). El feminismo ibérico.  (amb la col·laboració de Carmen Alcalde), Vilassar de Mar Barcelona: oikos-tau

(1972). Salvador Espriu. Barcelona: Dopesa

(1973). El Feminisme a Catalunya. Barcelona: Nova Terra

(1975). La Dona: dona, doneta, donota. Barcelona: DOPESA

(1975). Subirachs, o, Retrat de l'artista com a escultor adult. Barcelona: Pòrtic

(1976). Cada cosa en el seu temps i lectura cada dia. Barcelona: Dopesa

(1982). Dietari de prudències. Barcelona: Hogar del libro

(1990). Fem memòria. El port de Barcelona. Barcelona: Lunwerg 

 

CHILDREN'S AND YOUNG READERS' LITERATURE:

(1971). Anna, Bel i Carles.  Barcelona: Lumen, cop

(1971). Nummius Dexter Optatus, Papa de Roma (308-310). Barcelona: Tarot

(1972). Ni teu ni meu. Barcelona: La Galera, DL

(1977). El Cavaller Tirant. (adaptació teatral per infants). Barcelona: Edicions Don Bosco

(1984). Compta'ls bé, que tots hi són. Barcelona: Argos Vergara, DL

 (1989). El malefici de la reina d’Hongria o les aventures dels tres patrons de la nau. Barcelona: Barcanova

(1989). La rialla del mirall. Barcelona: Empúries 

 

MEMOIRS:

(1987). Mala memòria. Barcelona: Planeta. 

(1989). Això era i no era. Barcelona: Planeta. 

 

SHORT STORIES:

(1955). Madame Adà; Estranys presoners i D'Arenys a Sinera. Barcelona: Selecta. 

(1956). El lector i la seva obra. Barcelona: Editex. 

(1968). Dia sí, dia no. Llibres de Sinera.

(1970). Pedra de toc. Barcelona: Ed. Nova Terra.

(1971). Cartes impertinents. Palma de Mallorca: Moll.

(1974). Pedra de toc/2. Barcelona: Editorial Nova Terra.

(1988). Fumar o no fumar, vet aquí la qüestió. Barcelona: Destino. 

 

NOVELS

(1952). Necessitem morir. Barcelona: Aymà, cop. (Premi Joanot Martorell de 1947).

(1955). L'altra ciutat. Barcelona: Selecta. 

(1956). Betúlia. Barcelona: Selecta. 

(1956). Tana o la felicitat. Palma de Mallorca: Ed. Moll.

(1958). Ara. Barcelona: Albertí.

(1958). Com una mà. Palma de Mallorca: Ed. Moll.

(1959). Traduït de l'americà. Barcelona: Albertí.

(1962). El gust de la pols. Barcelona: Destino.

(1963). La pluja als vidres. Barcelona: Club Editor.

(1967). Un lloc entre els morts. Barcelona: Ed. Nova Terra.

(1969). Feliçment, jo sóc una dona. Barcelona: Nova Terra.

(1970). Vitrines d'Amsterdam. Barcelona: Club Editor.

(1971). Quim/Quima. Barcelona: Estela.

(1972). El Jaqué de la democràcia. Barcelona: Nova Terra.

(1980). Coses i noses. Barcelona: La Magrana.

(1982). Lo color més blau. Barcelona: Planeta.

(1988). El cap de Sant Jordi. Barcelona: Planeta.

(1990). Aquelles dames d’altres temps. Barcelona: Planeta. 

 

DRAMA:

(1960). Tu i l'hipòcrita: comèdia predicada, en dos actes. Palma de Mallorca: Ed. Moll, DL. 

(1966). El Desert dels dies. Occitània, cop. 

(1968). Dia sí, dia no. Barcelona: Llibres de Sinera. 

(1968). Dones, flors i pitança i altres peces curtes. Palma de Mallorca: Ed. Moll.

(1968). Els Vells. Barcelona: Mateu, DL.

(1968). Vent de garbí i una mica de por. Palma de Mallorca: Ed. Moll.

(1971). L'Ombra de l'escorpí. Barcelona: Arts Gràfiques Oriente.

(1971). Preguntes i respostes sobre la vida i la mort de Francesc Layret, advocat dels obrers de Catalunya. (with Xavier Romeu). París: Edicions Catalanes de París.

(1974). Tirant lo Blanc / Joanot Martorell. Theatre adaptation. València: Gorg.

(1977). L’alt Rei en Jaume: sèrie televisiva en 8 capítols. Barcelona: Aymà. 

 

Didactic approach

Catalan contemporary literature, journalism, metaliterary reflection.

History: Spanish transition, Catalanism and socialism.

Social sciences: feminism. 

Documents