Josep Lluís Roig (Oliva, La Safor, 1967) is a writer and secondary school teacher in Benigànim (La Vall d'Albaida). He has published a major body of poetic work along with plays and fiction.

He studied Catalan and Spanish Philology and History and made his debut as a poet in 1990 with Per a dansar la llum (To Dance the Light, 1991 – winner of the "Martí Dot de Sant Feliu de Llobregat" Prize), a work that has continuity in Amb el gest de les hores (With the Gesture of the Hours, 1991 – "Senyoriu d'Ausiàs March" Prize), Sal lenta (Slow Salt, 1992 – 1991 Salvador Espriu Prize for Young People's Poetry) and, subsequently, Ebri de vi perdut (Drunk on Lost Wine, 2000) and Oasi breu (Brief Oasis, 2001). More recently, he has added to his poetic production with the titles El somrís de les carreteres secundàries (The Smile of Secondary Roads, 2004 – winner of the "Recull - Benet Ribas" Prize for Poetry), La presó de l'aigua (The Prison of Water, 2005 – "Ciutat de Xàtiva" Prize), and Càries (Caries, 2007 – "Ibm Jafadja" Prize in the Alzira Awards). Peixos d'un mar sec (Fish from a Dry Sea) was awarded the Vicent Andrés Estellés Prize for Poetry at the 2008 October Awards, and in 2013 he received the Premi de Poesia Manel Garcia Grau with A Contraatac (Els dubtes i els glaçons).

He has also published the plays Presoners de l'aigua (Prisoners of Water, 2003), A joc de daus (In a Dice Game, 2005), Desàngel (Disangel, 2007), which received the 2008 Critics' Prize for Valencian Writers, and Puzle (Puzzle, 2008). With Rafael Gomar Lloret and Emili Gil as co-authors he has also published the collection of short stories Històries circulars i altres relats (Circular Stories and Other Tales, 2003). The novel El primer paradís (The First Paradise, 2007) was awarded the "Vila de Lloseta" Prize for Fiction, and Insuficient s'escriu amb sang (Unsatisfactory is written in blood, 2011), the Esport i Ciutadania Prize to the best novel for young readers.

He also publishes reviews, articles and studies in journals and in a range of periodical publications including Avui, Levante-EMV, Caràcters and Reduccions.

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



Web page: Toni Terrades Oliver for AELC.
Documentation: Josep Lluís Roig and Toni Terrades.
Photographs: Author's personal files.