Francisco Izquierdo Ríos (1910-1981) was a Peruvian professor and writer who devoted himself to portraying the reality of the Amazon and the jungle along with its complications and depths. Some consider him to be the most transcendent and important writer in Peru throughout the 20th century.
This conception is due to the fact that his work rescued part of the spoken traditions and customs of this Latin American culture. Izquierdo Ríos dedicated his life to teaching and narrating the daily life of the jungle, the mountains and the coast, taking the reader through the history, development and problems of that region.
In nearly forty years of his career he produced more than 23 works that use simple, rich and unfathomable language. The themes that this writer developed in his works demonstrate his struggle against misery and injustice.
During his career he resorted to various narratives, such as stories, novels, poems, essays, stories and articles, among others. Many of these pieces are dedicated to children; However, they are available to all types of readers regardless of age, because they are a very important reference to Peruvian memoirs.
Biography
Birth and training
He was born in Saposoa -province of Huallaga located in the department of San Martín, Peru- on August 29, 1910, product of the union of Francisco Izquierdo Saavedra and Silvia Ríos Seijas. Both parents were of humble origin, and were dedicated to the field and the production of the land.
Despite the simplicity of this family, his parents took care to give him a good education, a fact that is demonstrated in 1927 when he graduated from high school at the National School of Moyobamba.
Later, in 1930 he obtained the title of Second Degree Teacher in the Normal Section of the National Pedagogical Institute for Men. His vocation to teach became present almost immediately, since then he dedicated himself to giving general culture courses to workers in the towns of Lima and Vitarte.
Trajectory
In 1931 he began his career as a teacher, first as a teacher in the school that educated him and later in various institutions. Between 1932 and 1939 he belonged to the Chachapoyas staff, from 1939 to 1940 he worked in Yurimaguas, and for the next three years he worked as an educator in Iquitos.
His dedication and dedication to this area was so great that in 1943 he was a teaching inspector for the province of Maynas in the department of Loreto, northeast of Peru.
Later he moved to the capital, where he held the position of director of the Night School number 36 located in Bellavista, Callao. There it remained for 21 years.
At the same time, he was head of the Folklore Department, an entity attached to the Directorate of Artistic Education and Cultural Extension of the Ministry of Education. In this position he dedicated himself to rescuing the myths, legends and stories that frame the history of his native country.
Once he finished his work there, he was in charge of the Publications Department of the Casa de la Cultura, an organization in which he spent ten years. As editor, he published twenty issues of the magazine Cultura y pueblo.
Last charges and death
For seven years he stayed a little away from teaching and literature. However, due to his experience and knowledge, in 1977 he was a jury member of the Casa de las América literary contest in Havana, Cuba.
Until the last days of his life, he was concerned with writing and art, so much so that shortly before his death he was president of the National Association of Writers and Artists (Anea).
Francisco Izquierdo Ríos died in the city of Lima on June 30, 1981. At that time the writer was 70 years old.
Plays
This writer is the author of several novels, short stories, poems, and essays. He is recognized for being the creator of 23 works that refer to and are part of the culture of Peru itself.
His first text was the collection of poems Sachapuyas in 1936. Then, in 1939 Ande y selva, a portrait of the Peruvian land, was published.
During 1949 two pieces were released: Selva y otros cuentos and Vallejo y su tierra; the latter had two increased editions, one in 1969 and the second in 1972.
The following year he promoted Tales of Uncle Doroteo and the novel Dark Days. In 1952 he revealed In the land of trees and the poetry book Papagayo, the friend of children. In 1959 the collection of educational narratives entitled Teachers and children was printed.
Decade of 70's
The sixties were very prolific with the stories: My village (1964), The stories of Adán Torres (1965), The hummingbird with the peacock's tail (1965), Sinti, the viborero (1967), Mateo Paiva, the teacher (1968), Five poets and a novelist (1969) and Children's literature in Peru (1969).
The speed of publication of his lyrics decreased in intensity in the 1970s, with Muyuna (1970), Belén (1971) and Pueblo y Bosque (1975). Her last composition were the stories Voyá, published in 1978.
Awards
During his career, this writer obtained several satisfactions as a result of his work. However, there are specialists who affirm that the number of recognitions does not coincide with his contribution and importance within the culture of his country, since he is considered one of the rescuers of the traditions of Peru; that's why it became a reference.
The realistic, simple and emotional work of this novelist was splendid in 1957, an unforgettable period for him since he won the second prize in the contest organized by the editor Juan Mejía Baca and the writer PL Villanueva, thanks to Gregorillo.
Gregorillo is a sentimental story that uses many biographical moments, a peculiarity that highlighted it from other authors.
Furthermore, in 1963 Izquierdo Ríos was awarded the Ricardo Palma National Prize for the Promotion of Culture for his work The White Tree, published a year earlier.
The last award was received in 1965, when Gavicho was recognized by the Madrid publishing house Doncel.
References
- "Francisco Izquierdo Ríos" in Peruvian Books. Retrieved on September 25, 2018 from: Librosperuanos.com
- "Francisco Izquierdo Ríos complete short story work" in Librería Sur. Retrieved on September 25, 2018 from: libreriasur.com.pe
- Gensollen, J. “They pay homage to Francisco Izquierdo Ríos (September 2010) at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Retrieved on September 25, 2018 from: unmsm.edu.pe
- "Francisco Izquierdo Ríos". Retrieved on September 25, 2018 from: wikipedia.org
- "Peru: Today is the tribute to Francisco Izquierdo Ríos for one hundred years of his birth" in Intercultural Communication Services. Retrieved on September 25, 2018 from: servindi.org