Carles Cano was born in 1957, a year in which it is said that the Rioja vintage was exceptional. Unfortunately, however, Carles is not a wine and, to add insult to injury, was born in Valencia, the year of the floods and, moreover, under a water sign: Pisces.

He has worked at several trades in this life – as a carpenter, woodcarver, waiter, dance teacher, Valencian language teacher, radio and television announcer and scriptwriter, storyteller, writer … and there are quite a few other things he'd like to do.

As a storyteller, he has participated in international festivals and told his stories in several countries including Equatorial Guinea, France, Mexico, Argentina, Morocco and the United Kingdom, as well as throughout Spain.

He has been working on visual poetry since 2002 when he and his students organised a literary exhibition called "Poemes, Broemes i altres artificis" (Poetry, Joketry and Other Tricks). In 2003 he produced a second show called "Cartes" (Cards) and, in 2005, an exhibition-exchange with more than sixty poets, illustrators, painters, puppeteers, sculptors, dermatologists and English teachers.

He has spoken at several seminars, in panel discussions and conferences related with children's and young people's literature, as well as in the domains of radio, television, theatre, visual poetry and oral literature.

He began to write in 1980 as the result of a bet and, now betting against himself, he is still writing. Sometimes he loses but winning is so fantastic he is encouraged to keep betting. He loves telling stories, whatever the format, which is probably why he's written stories, radio and television scripts, comedy, plays, aphorisms, poetry, etcetera.

He also likes seeking and, of course, finding, whether it's asparagus, mushrooms, places, people, stories, visual poems or Gothic altarpieces. He can't stand meanness, the "don't-give-a-damn" mindset and carelessly done work. He's still surprised by many things. And that is not all, my friends!

He is a member of Associació d'Escriptors en Llengua Catalana (AELC, Association of Catalan Language Writers).

Contact.



Web page: Josep Miàs for AELC.
Documentation and portal: Carles Cano.
Biography: Ana Luisa Ramírez.
Photograph: © Carles Francesc.
Translation by Julie Wark.