Jaume Vidal i Alcover (Manacor 1923 - Barcelona 1991) is the author of an extensive body of poetic, narrative, dramatic and essay work. With degrees in Law and Romance Languages Philology and a doctorate in Catalan Philology, he was a lecturer in Literature and Literary Criticism at the Rovira i Virgili University. He published a number of studies in Catalan literature, critical editions and works on folklore and oral tradition. His creative work is founded in Aristotelian verisimilitude, so that the literary references of an erudite author combine with irony, wit and a passion for life. Outstanding are his Sonets a Eurídice (1962), which was awarded the Joan Alcover Prize, Les quatre llunes (The Four Moons - 1969), awarded the Víctor Català Prize, Terra negra (Black Earth - 1970), awarded the Carles Riba Prize , and the tetralogy of novels Els anys i els dies (Years and days). In 1988 he was honoured with the Creu de Sant Jordi de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Saint George Cross of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia) for the entirety of his literary contribution. Amongst other books, he translated the work of Marcel Proust À la recherche du temps perdu, which was published posthumously in 1992.



Documentation: Xavier Gual.
Up-date: Carme Ros.
Translation: Julie Wark.
Photo: Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Biblioteca de Lletres. Arxiu Vidal-Capmany.