Ramon Saizarbitoria
Ramon Saizarbitoria was born in San Sebastián in 1944. He was one of the leaders of the cultural renewal movement that took place in the 1960’s. His first novel Egunero Hasten DelakoBecause every day begins(1969) is included in all anthologies and histories of literature as the first modern Basque novel. Ehun MetroOne hundred metershis second novel, was seized by the Franco regime in 1974 and was not published until 1976. With Ene JesusMy dear Jesus(1976) winner of the Critics Prize for Literature, he took literary experimentation to the extreme, with an approach to literature that lead him to silence. After a nineteen-years’ editorial gap he published Hamaika pausoThe countless steps(1995) winner of the Critics Prize for Literature; Bihotz bi. Gerrako kronikakLove and war(1996) winner of the Basque Country’s Prize for Dissemination; Gorde nazazu lurpeanKeep me underground(2000), winner of the Basque Country’s Fiction Prize and of the Critics Prize for Literature; Gudari zaharraren gerra galduaThe old soldiers’ lost war(2000); Rossetti-ren obsesioaRosetti’s obsession(2001), and Kandinskyren tradizioaKandinsky’s tradition(2003). After Martutene (2013), his latest novel is Lili eta biok (2015), winner of the Critics Prize for Literature.
an extract from
Martutene
by Ramon Saizabitoria, translated from the Basque by Aritz Branton. Out now from Hispabooks Publishing.
Abaitua parks in front of what he thinks is Kepa’s doorway, in the Morlans district. He’s changed apartments again, which he normally does to suit his financial situation, and he hasn’t visited him here before.
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