
11:30 AM
What do women (and men) want more?
Conversation with
Bernardo Atxaga, International Prize
Moderated by: Maria Teresa Atorino
Language: Basque
Biography
Bernardo Atxaga is the pseudonym of Joseba Irazu Garmendia, Basque writer and poet, self-translator, born in Asteasu, Spain, in 1951. He’s considered the greatest living Basque writer. His artistic path as author of theater, poetry, songs, radio dramas, and fiction for adults and children began after studying Economics at the University of Bilbao and Philosophy at the University of Barcelona. In 1976, he published his first collection of poems, “Etiopia,” which received the Cesare Pavese Prize in 2003 for the Italian translation by Poemas&Híbridos, On the Other Side of the Border(Dall’altra parte della frontiera).
He achieved international acclaim most of all through his fiction. His first novel, “Obabakoak” (1988; translated into Italian as “Storie di Obaba” in 2002), was a huge success and won several literary awards, including the Euskadi Prize, the National Narrative Prize in Spain in 1989, and was a finalist for the IMPAC European Literary Award. In 1991, he wrote “Behi euskaldun baten memoriak” (translated as “Memorias de una vaca” / “Memorie di una mucca” in 1993, included in Julia Eccleshare’s catalog “1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up”), followed by “Gizona bere bakardadean” (published as “El hombre solo” in 1994, and as “L’uomo solo” by Giunti Editore in 1999), and “Zeru horiek” (published as “Esos cielos” in 1997).
The Obaba cycle ends with “Soinujolearen semea” (2003; translated in 2004 as “El hijo del acordeonista” / “Il figlio del fisarmonicista” in 2023), which won Grinzane Cavour Prize and the Mondello Prize in 2008, and the Times Literary Supplement Translation Prize. Other successful novels are “Zazpi etxe Frantzian” (2009, translated as “Siete casas en Francia” and “L’ottava casa” in 2011): its English version, “Seven Houses in France,” was in the top twenty fiction books of 2012 in the United States according to Publishers Weekly magazine.
We also remind “Nevadako egunak” (2013, translated as “Días de Nevada” in 2014), for which he received the Euskadi Prize and was finalist for the PEN Awards in the United States; “Etxeak eta hilobiak” (2019, translated as “Casas y tumbas” in 2020); “Desde el otro lado” (2022); and the latest book: “Un grillo en la autopista” (2023), which the author himself defines as a hybrid between an article and a story.
His work can be read in 35 languages and has been adapted into movies by Montxo Armendariz (“Obaba,” 2005), Aizpea Goenaga (“Zeru horiek,” 2006), Imanol Rayo (“Bi anai,” 2011), and Fernando Bernues (“El hijo del acordeonista,” 2018). In the theater, Calixto Bieito staged “Obabakoak,” presented at the Teatro Arriaga in 2017. In 2019, he received the National Prize for Spanish Literature, and in 2021, he was awarded the LIBER Prize for his entire body of work.
Since 2006, he has been a member of Euskaltzaindia, the Academy of the Basque Language, and continues to write novels, poetry collections, and critical essays. His works are translated into 35 languages.
Motivation for the International Award
In the Basque literature, the name of Atxaga turns out to be the most known and active for a long time in the promotion of the language, culture, history, as well as politics of the Basque people. The author deserves the Ostana International Award not only for his internationally recognized quality but also because his writing touches people’s hearts. He is a writer who speaks through his books, and his stories reveal an soul’s closeness that takes you by the hand and leads you to explore not only that world but also yourself.
Despite his characters being complex and multifaceted, grappling with existential questions such as identity, relationship with the past, and struggles to find a place in the world, the reader ends up feeling close to them because Atxaga is very skilled in creating them. His writing has great emotional depth, yet accessible and engaging for readers of all ages and cultural backgrounds.
Ultimately, Bernardo Atxaga deserves to be read for his ability to explore deep and complex themes in an innovative way and for his skill in creating memorable and engaging characters. His writing offers an opportunity to explore Basque culture and history in a stimulating and engaging way, yet it remains universal in its scope and relevance to broader human experiences.
PARTNERS
The Ostana Prize celebrates the international support received
from the UNESCO International Decade of Indigenous Languages, and from two reference institutions in the linguistic field: the ELEN network (European Language Equality Network) and the NPLD network (Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity).