Fiction
Lit&Lunch: From a Suppressed Language to International Renown
Jun 8, 2010|12:30pm
111 Minna Gallery, Minna Street, San Francisco, CA, United States111 Minna Gallery, Minna Street, San Francisco, CA, United States
111 Minna Gallery | 111 Minna Street | San Francisco, CA
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Basque author Bernardo Atxaga began writing in the 1970s when Spain was under the rule of the dictator Francisco Franco. The language he wrote in, Euskera, was forbidden by the Spanish government. Now widely recognized as the literary standard bearer of Basque culture, Atxaga has become, according to The Guardian, “Basque’s strongest literary voice.” He talks about his early experiences with writing in a suppressed language, as well as his position as an author between Spanish and Basque cultures, one that often must confront the Basque separatist movement.
Author
Bernardo Atxaga
Bernardo Atxaga is an author and poet and one of a group of Basque writers who began publishing in his native language of Euskera (suppressed under Franco) in the 1970s. He is the author of several books, including Obakoak, which was a finalist for the European Literary Prize and the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award; and The Accordionist’s Son, which was awarded the Times Literary Supplement Translation Prize. Atxaga has also written children’s books, short stories, articles and screenplays. His books have been translated into more than 20 languages.