Carmen Matute is a Guatemalan writer born on January 7, 1944, in the capital of Guatemala. Graduated from the University of San Carlos de Guatemala, this author graduated from the Hispanic American Language and Literature career.
Later, he joined the Guatemalan Academy of the Language, which is part of the Association of Spanish Language Academies.
Similarly, she was part of the Association of Women Journalists and Writers of Guatemala (AMPEG) and of the Board of Directors of the Contribution for the Decentralization of Culture (ADESCA)
He was also a member of the Fundación Música y Juventud, the 4th World movement and the already dissolved Grupo Literario RIN-78.
This academic has not only written eight books of poetry, but she is also the creator of two other books of narrative, works in which its versatility and rich rhetorical language can be felt first-hand.
Literary background
According to Aida Toledo, in her work To conjure up the dream, Carmen Matute's style follows an existential trend.
Matute tries to assume a subjective voice, through which her feminist thoughts can be observed.
Toledo also considers that the poetry of the Guatemalan woman presents a serious concern for social and political problems in which her country was struggling in the eighties.
He also affirms that, in addition to hinting at certain collective airs related to social problems, Matute also touches on the erotic theme and takes it to a dimension in which it links it with death, assuming a skepticism regarding love.
Published works
His work has been translated into different languages, such as Swedish, English, Italian and French.
Likewise, his poems have been part of anthologies published in other countries, such as the United States, Spain, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Sweden, Italy, France and Costa Rica, among others. This author has published eight books of poetry:
- Insobornable Life (2004)
- On the Edge of Joy (2002)
- House of stone and dream (1997)
- Beads and Mirages (1997, anthology)
- The designs of Eros (1994)
- Echoes of an empty house (1990)
- Poet alone (1986)
- Vulnerable Circle (1981)
All these works were collected in 2013 by the publisher of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Guatemala in a collection of poems called Timeless Memory of Fire.
Besides this, Matute has also written two narrative books:
- Bad Doll (2008)
- The Christ of Kidnapping (2006, testimonial literature co-authored with Elizabeth Andrade)
Recognitions
Carmen Matute has been the representative of Guatemala in international meetings related to writing, such as the Medellín Poetry Festival (1998) and the Ibero-American Writers Congress (1997).
In addition, the author has been decorated with some literary awards, among which are:
- Miguel Ángel Asturias National Prize for Literature (2015)
- Medal of the Vicenta Laparra de la Cerda Order (2007)
- Unique award in the story branch of the Spanish-American Floral Games of Quetzaltenango (2006)
- Young Literature Contest (1996)
References
- Aida Toledo. (1988). To conjure sleep. Guatemala City, Guatemala: Editorial Abrapalabra.
- (2015). Matute, Guatemalan literature prize, asks to give voice to oppressed women. Recovered from efe.com
- Ministry of Culture and Sports of Guatemala. (2015). The writer Carmen Matute was elected National Prize for Literature “Miguel Ángel Asturias” 2015. Recovered from mcd.gob.gt
- Ministry of Culture and Sports of Guatemala. (2015). National Prize for Literature "Miguel Ángel Asturias" 2015 to Carmen Matute. Recovered from mcd.gob.gt