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Edition 6 (2012) Winner
Jorge Volpi
ホルヘ・ボルピ・エスカランテ
Jorge Volpi Escalante
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1968-07-10 （Mexico City）
- Nationality
- Mexico
- Languages
- Spanish
- Residence History
- Mexico City (birth and early life) → Salamanca (doctoral studies, Spain) → Paris (director of Mexican Cultural Center) → Princeton (visiting professor, resident)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Essayist, Short story writer, Professor, Cultural attaché, TV channel director, Festival director
- Active Years
- 1990-
- Memberships
- National System of Creators (Mexico)
- Influenced By
- Carlos Fuentes, Jorge Cuesta (subject of study), Ignacio Padilla, Carl Sagan (inspiration for interest in science)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centro Universitario México | — | — | High school | — | Mexico |
| National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) | Faculty of Law | Law | Undergraduate (Law) / Master's (Mexican literature) | — | Mexico |
| University of Salamanca | Hispanic Philology | Philology | Doctorate (Hispanic Philology) | 1996–1999 | Spain |
Centro Universitario México
Degree:
High school
Country:
Mexico
Attended high school at Centro Universitario México
National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)
Faculty of Law
/ Law
Degree:
Undergraduate (Law) / Master's (Mexican literature)
Country:
Mexico
Studied law as undergraduate and obtained a master's in Mexican literature at UNAM
University of Salamanca
Hispanic Philology
/ Philology
Degree:
Doctorate (Hispanic Philology)
Period:
1996–1999
Year of Graduation:
1999
Country:
Spain
Doctoral thesis on poet Jorge Cuesta
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Plural de Ensayo Prize | — | — | — | 受賞 |
| 1991 | Vuelta Prize (Essay) | El magisterio de Jorge Cuesta | — | — | 受賞 |
| 1999 | Premio Biblioteca Breve | In Search of Klingsor | — | Seix Barral | 受賞 |
| 2000 | Deux Océans - Grinzane Cavour Prize | In Search of Klingsor | — | — | 受賞 |
| 2008 | Mazatlán Prize | Con Mentiras | — | — | 受賞 |
| 2009 | Debate-Casa de América Essay Prize | El insomnio de Bolívar | — | Debate / Casa de América | 受賞 |
| 2012 | Planta-Casa de América Prize | La tejedora de sombras | — | Casa de América | 受賞 |
| — | José Donoso Iberoamerican Prize (for collective work) | Collective work | — | — | 受賞 |
| — | Guggenheim Fellowship / Grant | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | 助成 |
| — | Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (France) | — | — | Ministry of Culture (France) | 叙勲（ナイト） |
| 2011 | Knight of the Order of Isabella the Catholic | — | — | Spanish Crown / Government | 叙勲（ナイト） |
Plural de Ensayo Prize
1990
Result:
受賞
Vuelta Prize (Essay)
1991
Work:
El magisterio de Jorge Cuesta
Result:
受賞
Premio Biblioteca Breve
1999
Work:
In Search of Klingsor
Organization:
Seix Barral
Result:
受賞
Deux Océans - Grinzane Cavour Prize
2000
Work:
In Search of Klingsor
Result:
受賞
Mazatlán Prize
2008
Work:
Con Mentiras
Result:
受賞
Debate-Casa de América Essay Prize
2009
Work:
El insomnio de Bolívar
Organization:
Debate / Casa de América
Result:
受賞
Planta-Casa de América Prize
2012
Work:
La tejedora de sombras
Organization:
Casa de América
Result:
受賞
José Donoso Iberoamerican Prize (for collective work)
Work:
Collective work
Result:
受賞
Guggenheim Fellowship / Grant
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
助成
Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (France)
Organization:
Ministry of Culture (France)
Result:
叙勲（ナイト）
Knight of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
2011
Organization:
Spanish Crown / Government
Result:
叙勲（ナイト）
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
In Search of Klingsor
1999 Fiction / NovelA research-driven novel that follows the search for Hitler's chief scientific advisor after World War II; it traces developments in scientific knowledge and political thought in the late 20th century. The first book of a trilogy.
Search for knowledgeHistoryEthicsPolitical thought
Translations
- In Search of Klingsor (English translation)
The End of Madness
2003 Fiction / NovelSecond book of the Klingsor trilogy, set between the May 1968 events in Paris and the fall of the Berlin Wall, exploring political and social upheavals.
Political movementsHistorical changeCollapse of ideals
No será la tierra
2006 Fiction / NovelConclusion of the trilogy, dealing with the end of 20th-century communist ideals and transformations of thought.
End of ideologiesHistorical inquiry
La tejedora de sombras
2012 Fiction / Psychoanalytic elementsA novel drawing on Jungian psychoanalysis, exploring identity and the unconscious.
PsychoanalysisIdentity
Memorial del engaño
2014 Fiction / Socio-economic themesA novel about the 2008 financial crisis, intertwining world economic order and revelations about espionage.
Economic crisisConspiracy and intelligence
Bibliography
- Pieza en forma de sonata (1990)
- In Spite of the Dark Silence (1993)
- Días de ira (1994)
- La paz de los sepulcros (1995)
- El temperamento melancólico (1996)
- Sanar tu piel amarga (1997)
- In Search of Klingsor (1999)
- The Game of the Apocalypse (2000)
- The End of Madness (2003)
- No será la tierra (2006)
- El jardín devastado (2008)
- Oscuro bosque oscuro (2009)
- La tejedora de sombras (2012)
- Memorial del engaño (2014)
- Una novela criminal (2018)
- Mentiras contagiosas: Ensayos (2008)
- El insomnio de Bolívar (2009)
- Leer la mente. The Brain and the Art of Fiction (2011)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Research-driven, explanatory style distinct from magical realismFocus on characters' actions and the pursuit of knowledgeBlend of 'airport-novel' elements (intrigue, romance) with scholarly research
- Recurring Motifs
- Pursuit of knowledgeIdentityHistory and scienceEthical dilemmas
Legacy
One of contemporary Mexico's major writers, internationally recognized for novels rooted in history and science. His works, notably 'In Search of Klingsor', have been widely translated; he has also been active in cultural administration and academia.
Academic Societies
- National System of Creators (Mexico)
Quotes
-
"The novels I like to read and the ones I try to write are those that consider fiction as a vehicle of knowledge."
Source: Reforma (interview) (1999)
Trivia
- Co-authored the "Crack Manifesto" in 1996 with other young Mexican writers.
- 'In Search of Klingsor' was widely acclaimed in Europe and translated into many languages (approximately 25).
- Has served in cultural administration, including directing Canal 22 and the Festival Internacional Cervantino.
- Some passages in his fiction have been noted for their apparent anticipation of real political events.