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Antonio Muñoz Molina

アントニオ・ムニョス・モリーナ

Antonio Muñoz Molina

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1956-01-10 (Úbeda, Province of Jaén, Spain)
Nationality
Spanish
Languages
Spanish
Residence History
Úbeda, Province of Jaén, Spain → Madrid, Spain → New York City, United States

Career

Occupations
novelist, writer, journalist
Active Years
1980-
Affiliations
Member of the Royal Spanish Academy (Real Academia Española), Seat u, Former director of the Instituto Cervantes
Memberships
Real Academia Española

Education

University of Granada
Faculty of Art History / History of Art
Country: Spain
Studied history of art
Journalism school/institution in Madrid (unspecified)
Journalism
Country: Spain
Studied journalism in Madrid

Awards

National Novel Prize (Spain)
1988
Work: Winter in Lisbon
Organization: Spanish government
Result: winner
National Novel Prize (Spain)
1992
Work: The Polish Rider
Organization: Spanish government
Result: winner
Premio Planeta
1991
Work: The Polish Rider
Organization: Editorial Planeta
Result: winner
Jerusalem Prize
2013
Organization: Jerusalem International Book Fair / awarding body
Result: winner
Prince of Asturias Award (Literature)
2013
Category: 文学
Organization: Prince of Asturias Foundation
Result: winner
PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize (for translator)
2004
Work: Sepharad (English translation)
Organization: PEN / Book-of-the-Month Club
Result: translator award (for Margaret Sayers Peden)
Prix Médicis étranger
2020
Work: Un andar solitario entre la gente (French translation)
Organization: Prix Médicis (France)
Result: winner (for translator Isabelle Gugnon)

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Beatus Ille

1986 novel

An early novel featuring the imaginary city of Mágina, reflecting themes and landscapes inspired by the author's Andalusian birthplace.

memorynostalgiaurban landscapes
Translations
  • A Manuscript of Ashes (English translation)

Winter in Lisbon

1987 novel (film-noir influenced)

A novel influenced by film noir and jazz, dealing with lost love and the mysteries of the past.

lovemysterythe past
Translations
  • Winter in Lisbon (English translation)

Beltenebros

1989 novel

A story of love and political intrigue set in post–Civil War Madrid.

politicsintriguememory
Translations
  • Prince of Shadows (English translation)

The Polish Rider

1991 novel

A novel intertwining history and personal memory, tracing family and remnants of the past; winner of the 1991 Premio Planeta.

familymemoryhistory

Sepharad

2001 novel / fragmented essays

A work addressing Jewish heritage and the memory of exile in Spain. The English translation by Margaret Sayers Peden received a translation prize.

exileJewish heritagememory
Translations
  • Sepharad (English translation)

To Walk Alone in the Crowd

2018 essays / memoir-like reflections

A collection of reflections on urban life and personal experience; the French translation won the Prix Médicis étranger.

city lifereminiscenceobservation
Translations
  • To Walk Alone in the Crowd (English translation)

Bibliography

  • El Robinsón urbano, 1984.
  • Diario de Nautilus, 1985.
  • Beatus Ille, 1986.
  • El invierno en Lisboa, 1987.
  • Las otras vidas, 1988.
  • Beltenebros, 1989.
  • Córdoba de los omeyas, 1991.
  • El jinete polaco, 1991.
  • Los misterios de Madrid, 1992.
  • Nada del otro mundo, 1993.
  • El dueño del secreto, 1994.
  • Las apariencias, 1995.
  • Ardor guerrero, 1995.
  • La huerta del Edén, 1996.
  • Pura alegría, 1996.
  • Plenilunio, 1997.
  • Carlota Fainberg, 1999.
  • En ausencia de Blanca, 2001.
  • Sefarad, 2001.
  • La vida por delante, 2002.
  • Las ventanas de Manhattan, 2004.
  • El viento de la luna, 2006.
  • Días de diario, 2007.
  • La noche de los tiempos, 2009.
  • Todo lo que era sólido, 2013.
  • Como la sombra que se va, 2014.
  • Un andar solitario entre la gente, 2018.
  • Tus pasos en la escalera, 2019.
  • El miedo de los niños, 2020.
  • Volver a dónde, 2021.
  • No te veré morir, 2023.

Translations of Works

  • Beatus Ille → A Manuscript of Ashes (English translation)
  • El invierno en Lisboa → Winter in Lisbon (English translation)
  • Beltenebros → Prince of Shadows (English translation)
  • Sefarad → Sepharad (English translation)
  • Un andar solitario entre la gente → To Walk Alone in the Crowd (English translation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Detailed, descriptive prose within contemporary Spanish literatureNarratives that weave history with personal memory
Recurring Motifs
Mágina (imaginary city)memory and traces of the pastcity vs. hometown nostalgiaexile and Jewish heritage

Legacy

One of the leading figures in contemporary Spanish literature. Renowned for layered treatments of history and personal memory, recipient of major national and international literary awards, and a member of the Royal Spanish Academy.

Academic Societies

  • Real Academia Española (RAE)

Archives

  • Library of Congress Hispanic Division audio recording archive (2015)

Trivia

  • Married to writer and journalist Elvira Lindo.
  • Served as director of the Instituto Cervantes in New York from 2004 to 2005.
  • Elected to the Royal Spanish Academy in 1995 and took his seat in 1996.