WORDS OF WISDOM

27.Nov.2009

POET IDA VITALE AWARDED

Uruguayan poet Ida Vitale, belonging to what has been denominated “generation of ´45”, received the Octavio Paz Poetry and Essay award. The prize was shared with writer Ramón Xirau.

“Both figures, each from their own exile and rootlessness have contributed to the renewal of our language and its literature. They are two different voices united in their practice and defense of both freedom and the common language of poetry” said the jury.

“Two lives intensely devoted to the discipline of profound thought and writing, to the construction of poetic and critical language and with the goal of making the world more habitable and restoring its sense” they add.

Ramón Xirau was born in Barcelona on 20th January 1924 and in 1938, due to the Spanish Civil War, fled to France where he lived for a year before moving to Mexico. His most outstanding works include "De ideas y no ideas", (Of Ideas and Non Ideas), "El tiempo vivido" (Time Lived), "Entre la poesía y el conocimiento"(Between Poetry and Knowledge), "Sentido de presencia" (Sense of Presence) and "Antología personal (Personal Anthology)

Ida Vitale wrote poetry books such as "La luz de esta memoria",(the light of this memory) "Procura de lo imposible"(attempting the imposible) "Reducción del infinito" (reduction of the infinite) and works of prose such as "Un invierno equivocado" (Winter makes a mistake), or "Donde vuela el camaleón" (where the chameleon flies).

Born in 1923, Vitale is considered one of the great representatives of the generation of ´45, which includes some of the most outstanding Latin American writers such as Mario Benedetti and Idea Vilariño. Ida currently lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband the poet Enrique Fierro.