Mercè Canela, Sant Guim de Freixenet (la Segarra), 1956, is a writer and archaeologist.

She obtained a degree in History from the Autonomous University of Barcelona but was soon immersed in the world of books, first as a librarian at her university, after which she went to work in Brussels (1986 – 1994) as a documentalist in the Commission of the European Communities.

In 1976, when she was still a university student, she published her first book, De qui és el bosc? (Who Owns the Forest?), shortly after which she was awarded the Josep Maria Folch i Torres Prize for her L'escarabat verd (The Green Beetle, 1977). Since then, she has published some twenty books, notable among which are: Lluna de tardor (Autumn Moon, 1982), El rastre de les bombolles (Trail of Bubbles, 1990), S'ha de ser animal! (What a Beast! – 1992), La casa de les acàcies (The House of Acacias, 1997), Els dimarts del senyor F. (The Tuesdays of Mister F. – 1997), Per un plat de macarrons (For a Plate of Macaroni – 1997) and Una pintura als llençols (A Painting on the Sheets, 2004). Apart from the Folch i Torres Prize in 1976, her literary work for children and young people has earned her several prestigious prizes for example, the 1981 Serra d'Or Critics' Prize 1981, the 1982 L'Esparver Prize and the 1991 Vaixell de Vapor Prize. She has also been included on the IBBY Honour List (1984).

Since 1997, she has been combining her writing with her work as director of the children's magazine Cavall Fort.

She is a member of AELC (Association of Catalan Language Writers).



Web page: Nausica Solà for AELC.
Translation: Julie Wark.
Photograph: Author's personal files.