Invention as Refuge
The exhibition “Quien no inventa no vive” celebrates the centenary of author Ana María Matute through an intimate and creative lens that reveals her struggle to exist through literature.
Invention was the essential way to exist in the world and to connect with reality. That was how writer Ana María Matute saw it: for her, creation and imagination were the pillars of her life—and, of course, her literature. Quien no inventa no vive (“Those who don’t invent don’t live”) was her personal motto, perfectly summarizing her attitude toward life and writing. For Matute, inventing wasn’t just about crafting stories—it meant giving shape to imaginary landscapes and worlds.
This very phrase gives its name to the exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of Ana María Matute’s birth. It explores her life through five stages: childhood, youth, maturity, depression, and rebirth. The exhibition, organized by the Instituto Cervantes and the Spanish Ministry of Culture, with the collaboration of Biblioteques de Barcelona and Agència Balcells, offers an immersive journey through the chapters of the author’s life via personal objects, manuscripts, letters, drawings, photographs, and even a selection of audio recordings in her own voice.
“Ana María Matute: Quien no inventa no vive” is open to the public until January 11, 2026, at the Biblioteca Jaume Fuster, and it celebrates key moments in a literary career defined by fantasy, childhood, and creative rebellion. Curated by Mari Paz Ortuño Ortín, the exhibition aims to bring the writer’s spirit into the present—as a storyteller who passionately defended the idea that inventing was necessary in order to live. Because, as she said: “Quien no inventa no vive.”
Ana María Matute (1925–2014) began writing short stories at the age of five, and by seventeen had completed her first novel, Pequeño teatro, which would be published years later and win the Premio Planeta in 1954. Honored with awards such as the Premio Nadal, Premi Ciutat de Barcelona, Premio Nacional de las Letras Españolas, and the Premio Cervantes, her work is marked by imagination and emotional depth, often filled with symbolic worlds, fantastical creatures, and a critical view of society.