Andreu Vidal (Palma, 1959 - 1998) was a poet and draftsman by profession. Although he died prematurely at the age of 39, his contribution to Catalan poetry of the second half of the twentieth century was significant.

When he was only eighteen, he published two collections of poems, Xicraini, nit de portes cremades (Xicraini, Night of Burnt Doors) and Aixall híctic. Hence, although his professional activity was in the field of architecture, writing became a major force in his life at an early age.

In his career as a poet, he published seven further collections of poems, notable amongst which are Necròpsia (Necropsy, 1984), winner of the 1983 City of Palma Prize, L'animal que no existeix (The Animal That Does Not Exist, 1993), winner of the 1992 Carles Riba Prize, and Ad Vivum, which was published posthumously in 1999.

Apart from his poetry, Andreu Vidal wrote for the press where, between 1985 and 1986, he published articles in the newspapers El Día de Baleares and Diario de Mallorca along with his photographs. His translations of the poetry of Paul Celan were published in 2000.

On 20 August 1998, Andreu Vidal died of a heart attack in his Palma residence.


Web page: Abel Ramon Vidal for AELC.
Photograph, images and documentation ceded by Margalida Pons.
Translation: Julie Wark