Joan Guasp (Consell, 1943) is a playwright. Since an early age he has been writing both journalistic pieces and literature, working in different genres, namely novels, children's books, short stories, poetry and plays, the latter, however, constituting the most notable part of his work.

Outstanding amongst his publications are Les contarelles d'en Pere Ferreguí (The Stories of Pere Ferreguí, 1979), Kabyl (Kabyl), a finalist for the 1984 Ignasi Iglésias Prize, Fumar d'amagat (Smoking in Secret), winner of the 1987 Teatre Principal Prize offered by the Mallorca Island Council, L'illa d'escuma rosa (The Pink Foam Island), winner of the 1988 City of Olot Prize for Children's Fiction, El cavall (The Horse), winner of the 1992 Municipality of Mollerussa Prize for the Novel, Eclipsi per a un home sol (Eclipse for One Man Alone), winner of the 1992 Sant Carles Borromeu d'Andorra Prize for Short Stories, Fills de l'espera (Children of Waiting), winner of the 1992 Recull de Teatre Prize, Concert de comiat (Farewell Concert), winner of the 1995 Fiter i Rossell Prize, Fills del Raiguer (Children of Raiguer), winner of the 2005 Vila Martorell Prize for poetry, Irène Némirovsky, winner of the 2006 Recull de Teatre Prize, El creuer dels etcèteres (The cruise ship of etceteras), winner of the 2006 Sagunt Prize for theatre, La torre Eiffel (The Eiffel Tower), winner of the 2011 Llorenç Moyà Prize for theatre, L'honorable Matarrates (The honourable Rat poison), winner of the 2011 Inicia't-City of Badalona theatre Prize, El Vicari de Crist i altres ficcions (The Vicar of Christ and other fictions), winner of the 2010 Armand Quintana prize of narrative from Calldetenes, Blai Bonet i el món (Blai Bonet and the World), winner of the 2010 Nacional del Vallès Oriental Prize of poetry and La Coca-Cola calenta (The worm Coca-Cola), winner of the 2011 Mutxamel prize of theatre.

He is also an assiduous writer of aphorisms and published his first book in this genre in 2000: Aforismes. Fogueró de Guaspires (Aphorisms. Fire of GuaSparks). He regularly contributes articles to the written press of Mallorca and elsewhere in the Catalan-speaking territories. From 2010 he is director of the review El Mirall, which is linked to the Obra Cultural Balear, an organization which he has always been part of.

In 2009 he was awarded the Lluís Carulla d'Actuació Cívica Prize, for his trajectory in favour of Catalan language within theatre and aphorisms; and in 2013 the international prize LiberPress in the literature category.

Guasp is an honorary member of Associació d'Escriptors en Llengua Catalana (Association of Catalan Language Writers), and a member of PEN Català and of Sociedad General de Autores (Spanish Author's Society).



Web page: Carme Ros for AELC.
Photographs: Author's personal files.
Translated by Julie Wark.