Homage to the writer and painter Jesús Moncada
One of the most outstanding writers in Catalan literature from the final third of the 20th century, Jesús Moncada, who passed away in 2005, now has a plaque paying tribute to him and his writing, as well as his work as a painter. The plaque was unveiled this month at his former home at C/ Torrent de l’Olla, 157, Barcelona.
The plaque comes as part of the roll-out of the Barcelona Literary Map, which identifies streets and other spots which have been inhabited, frequented or immortalised by writers from the city.
Exemplary writer
Born in Mequinensa in 1941, Moncada moved to the Catalan capital in 1966, his earliest published stories displaying some of his writing characteristics, typified by a blend of realism and fantasy and with references to his native Mequinensa (which disappeared under the waters of the Ebro river in the 60s) and the use of a language true to his origins.
He became firmly established as a narrator, in particular with the novel Camí de Sirga (1988), but also with other works before and after that, such as the collection of narratives Històries de la mà esquerra and Cabòries estivals i altres proses volanderes.
Moncada’s work, translated into some twenty languages, earned him awards such as the Catalan Critical Narrative Award (1988), the City of Barcelona Award (1989) and the Cross of Sant Jordi (2001).
