Premio Planeta de Novela (Planeta Novel Prize)
1 appearances
-
Edition 24 (1975) Nominee
Víctor Alba
ヴィクトル・アルバ
Víctor Alba
Aliases:
Pere Pagès i Elies / Pere Pagès
Pen Names:
Pere Pagès i Elies（Used as birth/Catalan name）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1916-01-01 （Barcelona）
- Died
- 2003-03-10 （Sant Pere de Ribes） age 87
- Nationality
- Spain
- Languages
- Catalan, Spanish, English, French
- Residence History
- Barcelona (birth, youth) → France (exile / temporary) → Mexico City (exile / publishing) → United States (University of Kansas, Kent State University) → Catalonia, Spain (returned later life)
Career
- Occupations
- politician, journalist, writer, university professor, historian
- Active Years
- 1934-2003
- Affiliations
- Bloque Obrero y Campesino (BOC), Workers' Party of Marxist Unification (POUM), University of Kansas (faculty), Kent State University (faculty)
- Influenced By
- Albert Camus, Catalan left / POUM thought
- Influenced
- Studies of the Spanish labour movement
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Barcelona | Faculty of Law | — | — | — | Spain |
University of Barcelona
Faculty of Law
Country:
Spain
Studied law at an early age; exact graduation year unknown
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Premio Planeta (finalist) | El pájaro africano | — | Planeta (Editorial Planeta) | 最終候補 |
Premio Planeta (finalist)
1975
Work:
El pájaro africano
Organization:
Planeta (Editorial Planeta)
Result:
最終候補
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Els supervivents
1950 Novel (postwar Barcelona)A novel set in postwar Barcelona dealing with exile, repression and everyday life.
postwar societyexilerepression and resistance
Historia del comunismo en América Latina
1953 History / Political scienceA study outlining the origins and development of communist movements in Latin America.
communismLatin American politics
The Latin Americans
1969 Non-fiction / Area studiesAn English-language work discussing the social structures and politics of Latin America.
area studiespolitical analysis
Catalonia. A Profile
1975 Non-fiction / Area studiesAn English-language profile of Catalonia's history and contemporary issues.
regional historyculture and politics
El pájaro africano
1975 NovelA novel shortlisted for the 1975 Premio Planeta; themes include exile and political memory.
exilememorypolitical conflict
Sísifo y su tiempo
1996 MemoirMemoirs recounting his life, political activity, exile and journalistic career.
memoirpolitical historyexile
Bibliography
- Els supervivents (1950)
- Historia del comunismo en América Latina (1953)
- Mexicanos Para La Historia (1955)
- The Latin Americans (1969)
- Retorn a Catalunya (1970)
- Catalunya sense cap ni peus (1971)
- Homo sapiens catalanibus (1974)
- El pájaro africano (1975)
- Historia de la resistencia antifranquista, 1939–1955 (1978)
- Sísifo y su tiempo (1996)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- journalistic, readable proseanalytical, documentary-based narrationmultilingual writing (Spanish, Catalan, French, English)
- Recurring Motifs
- labour movement and left-wing politicsanti-Stalinist perspectiveexile and memoryCatalan identity
Legacy
Víctor Alba was a prominent anti‑Stalinist intellectual of Spain who produced influential journalism and historical works on the labour movement and Latin American politics. His exile and academic career earned him international recognition, though some works have been criticized for limited sourcing.
Trivia
- Edited POUM organ 'La Batalla' during the Spanish Civil War.
- Was imprisoned for six years in Valencia.
- Wrote prolifically in multiple languages while in Mexico (Spanish, Catalan, French, English).
- Taught at the University of Kansas and Kent State University.
- Shortlisted for the 1975 Premio Planeta with 'El pájaro africano'.