World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Ramón J. Sender (Ramón José Sender Garcés)

ラモン・J・センダー（ラモン・ホセ・センダー・ガルセス）

Ramon J. Sender (Ramon Jose Sender Garces)

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1901-02-03 （Chalamera, Spain）
Died
1982-01-16 （San Diego, California, United States） age 80
Nationality
Spain, United States
Languages
Spanish
Residence History
Spain (birth and early life) → France (exile/temporary stay) → Mexico (exile) → United States (primarily Albuquerque and San Diego)

Career

Occupations
novelist, essayist, journalist, professor
Active Years
1920-1982

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Imán

1930 novel

An early novel depicting aspects of Spanish society and showing early signs of the author's political concerns.

societypolitics
Translations
  • Earmarked for Hell / Pro Patria (English translations)

Seven Red Sundays

1932 novel / social novel

A set of stories or linked pieces addressing workers and social movements; deals with political and social themes.

labor movementssocial injustice
Translations
  • Seven Red Sundays (English translation)

Mr. Witt Among the Rebels

1935 novel / satire

A work using humor and satire to portray social conflicts and an individual's position within them.

satiresocial conflict
Translations
  • Mr. Witt Among the Rebels (English translation)

The War in Spain: A Personal Narrative

1937 war narrative / non-fiction

Based on Sender's experiences in the Spanish Civil War; a personal account intended also to rally support for the Republican side.

Spanish Civil Warwar and memorypolitical commitment
Translations
  • The War in Spain: A Personal Narrative (English translation)

Chronicle of Dawn

1942 autobiographical novel

An autobiographical novel recounting the author's youth and formative experiences, covering memories before exile.

coming of agememoryhomeland
Translations
  • Chronicle of Dawn (English translation)

Requiem for a Spanish Peasant

1953 novel / social

A short but powerful story set in a rural village, portraying tragedies around the Civil War and raising political and ethical questions.

village societyjusticeeffects of civil war
Translations
  • Requiem for a Spanish Peasant (English translation)

Bibliography

  • Imán (1930)
  • Siete domingos rojos (1932)
  • Mr. Witt en el cantón (1935)
  • Contraataque (1937)
  • Crónica del alba (1942)
  • La esfera (1947)
  • El verdugo afable (1952)
  • Mosén Millán / Requiem por a Spanish Peasant (1953)
  • Bizancio (1956)
  • La tesis de Nancy (1962)
  • El bandido adolescente (1965)
  • La aventura equinoccial de Lope de Aguirre (1968)

Translations of Works

  • Seven Red Sundays — translation of Siete domingos rojos
  • Mr. Witt Among the Rebels — translation of Mr. Witt en el cantón
  • The War in Spain: A Personal Narrative — translation of Contraataque
  • Requiem for a Spanish Peasant — translation of Requiem por un campesino español

Style & Themes

Literary Style
realismsocial literatureanti-warautobiographical elements
Recurring Motifs
Spanish Civil Warexile and longing for returndepictions of rural societyjustice and revenge

Legacy

Ramón J. Sender is an important Spanish-language writer whose work was shaped by the Spanish Civil War and exile. He taught in the United States and left numerous translations into English. The tragic death of his wife and his exile deeply influenced his writing.

Archives

  • Holdings and related materials in the Biblioteca Nacional de España and other institutions

In Popular Culture

  • His son Ramón Sender Barayón is known as a composer and writer; a documentary about the son was made.
  • One of his grandchildren, Sol Sender, is a designer best known for work on the Obama campaign logo.

Trivia

  • He became a U.S. citizen in 1946.
  • He served with the Spanish Republican side in the Spanish Civil War.
  • The murder of his first wife Amparo Barayón had a profound effect on his life and work.
  • Several works were translated into English, including translations by Peter Chalmers Mitchell.