Premio Planeta de Novela (Planeta Novel Prize)
1 appearances
-
Edition 45 (1996) Nominee
Zoé Valdés
ソエ・バルデス
Soe Barudesu
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1959-05-02 （Havana, Cuba）
- Nationality
- Cuban, Spanish
- Languages
- Spanish, French
- Residence History
- Havana, Cuba → Paris, France
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, poet, screenwriter, film director, blogger, editor
- Active Years
- 1980-
- Affiliations
- Cuban Delegation at UNESCO (Paris), Magazine Cine Cubano (assistant director/editor), ICAIC (Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry) – scriptwriting
- Influenced By
- Juana Borrero, Juan Clemente Zenea, José María Heredia, Constantino Cavafis, Fernando Pessoa, Dulce María Loynaz, Dorothy Parker, Federico García Lorca, Pablo Neruda, César Vallejo, José Martí, José Lezama Lima, Octavio Paz, José Emilio Pacheco, Jaime Sabines, José Triana
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instituto Pedagógico Enrique Varona | — | — | — | 在籍〜中退（4年目まで在籍） | Cuba |
| Universidad de La Habana | — | Philology | 学位（フィロロジー） | — | Cuba |
| Alliance Française (Paris) | — | — | — | — | France |
Instituto Pedagógico Enrique Varona
Period:
在籍〜中退（4年目まで在籍）
Country:
Cuba
Attended until fourth year; did not complete degree at this institution according to sources
Universidad de La Habana
Philology
Degree:
学位（フィロロジー）
Country:
Cuba
Reportedly received a degree in Philology later; exact year not specified in source
Alliance Française (Paris)
Country:
France
Continued studies in Paris
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Primer Premio de Poesía Roque Dalton y Jaime Suárez Quemain | Respuestas para vivir | — | Organizing body not specified (poetry contest) | Winner |
| 1996 | Premio Planeta | Te di la vida entera | — | Editorial Planeta (Spain) | Finalist |
| 1997 | Premio Liberatur | La nada cotidiana | — | Premio Liberatur (Spain) | Winner |
| 2003 | Premio Fernando Lara | Lobas de mar | — | Fundación José Manuel Lara (Spain) | Winner |
| 2004 | Premio de Novela Ciudad de Torrevieja | La Eternidad del Instante | — | City of Torrevieja (organizer) | Winner |
| 2013 | Premio Azorín | La mujer que llora | — | Editorial Planeta / Premio Azorín (Spain) | Winner |
Primer Premio de Poesía Roque Dalton y Jaime Suárez Quemain
1982
Work:
Respuestas para vivir
Organization:
Organizing body not specified (poetry contest)
Result:
Winner
Premio Planeta
1996
Work:
Te di la vida entera
Organization:
Editorial Planeta (Spain)
Result:
Finalist
Premio Liberatur
1997
Work:
La nada cotidiana
Organization:
Premio Liberatur (Spain)
Result:
Winner
Premio Fernando Lara
2003
Work:
Lobas de mar
Organization:
Fundación José Manuel Lara (Spain)
Result:
Winner
Premio de Novela Ciudad de Torrevieja
2004
Work:
La Eternidad del Instante
Organization:
City of Torrevieja (organizer)
Result:
Winner
Premio Azorín
2013
Work:
La mujer que llora
Organization:
Editorial Planeta / Premio Azorín (Spain)
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Premio de Novela Ciudad de Torrevieja
1 appearances
-
Edition 3 (2004) Winner
Premio Azorín de Novela (Azorín Prize for Best Novel)
1 appearances
-
Edition 21 (2013) Winner
Works
Major Works
Sangre azul
1993 Novel (lyrical novel)A coming-of-age story of Attys, who lives with her stepfather and seeks the painter Gnossis in Paris; a semi-autobiographical lyrical novel about self-discovery.
self-discoverylove and lossnostalgia
Translations
La nada cotidiana (Yocandra in the Paradise of Nada)
1995 Novel (social critique)The protagonist Patria, born in the year of the Cuban Revolution, confronts the disappointment behind the promised paradise and seeks hope through writing.
revolution vs. realitydespair and hopeself-expression
Translations
- Yocandra in the Paradise of Nada (English translation)
Café Nostalgia
1997 Novel (memory/exile literature)Tells the story of Marcela who marries an older man to leave Cuba; an autobiographical-tinged novel exploring exile and memory.
exilememoryself-sacrifice
Lobas de mar
2003 Historical fictionA historical novel about two female Caribbean pirates, exploring the sea, female strength, and the desire for freedom.
female strengthfreedompirate narrative
La Eternidad del Instante
2004 NovelA novel concerned with time and the persistence of moments (details vary by source).
timememory
La mujer que llora (The Weeping Woman)
2013 NovelA work portraying personal and social loss and the expression of emotion. Winner of the Premio Azorín in 2013.
lossemotion
Bibliography
- Respuestas para vivir (1986)
- Todo para una sombra (1986)
- Vagón para fumadores (1986)
- Sangre azul (1993)
- La nada cotidiana (1995)
- Te di la vida entera (1996)
- Café Nostalgia (1997)
- Lobas de mar (2003)
- La Eternidad del Instante (2004)
- La mujer que llora (2013)
- Numerous other works (children's books, poetry collections, essays, screenplays)
Adaptations
- Vidas paralelas (screenplay)
- Caricias de Oshún (co-directed; screenplay)
Translations of Works
- La nada cotidiana → English: Yocandra in the Paradise of Nada
- Te di la vida entera → English translation available
- Querido primer novio → English: Dear First Love
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- intimate, erotic and ironic stylesemi-autobiographical narrationcontemporary critical perspective
- Recurring Motifs
- nostalgiaexile and memorysexuality and desirepolitical and social critique of Cuba
Legacy
An important contemporary writer from Cuba known for exile literature and critical perspectives on Cuban society. She is controversial for her political statements and alignment with right-wing circles, resulting in mixed reception. Her works have been translated in multiple countries and reach an international readership.
In Popular Culture
- Involvement with film and screenplays (Vidas paralelas, Caricias de Oshún, etc.)
Quotes
-
"My family told me, 'You must not repeat at school what you hear at home about Castro.' At home my mother and grandmother were against Castro, but at school everything that I heard was pro-Castro. From a very early age I was taught two opposing ways of speaking and two opposing value systems."
Source: Interview quoted in The Daily Beast (2002)
Trivia
- Debuted as a poet in the late 1970s–1980s; first poetry collection reportedly created in 1981.
- Officially exiled from Cuba in 1994 for political reasons; moved to Paris in 1995.
- Acquired Spanish nationality in 1997 and later obtained French residency.
- Married three times (Manuel Pereira Quintero, José Antonio González, Ricardo Vega) and has a daughter.
- Works have been translated into English, German, Portuguese, Italian and many other languages.
- Openly anti-Castro and has shown support for some conservative Spanish political circles (VOX), generating controversy.