DAVID CASTILLO (Barcelona, 1961)
David Castillo is a poet, novelist, critic and journalist. He has six books of poetry published in Catalan as well as two anthologies, noteworthy among which is Bandera negra (2000) (Black Flag), an extremely personal collection
of his poetry. El cel de l’infern (1999) (Hell’s Heaven) and No miris enrere (2002) (Don’t Look Back) constitute his most prize-winning novels. His latest books of poetry include Menta (2005) (Mint), Downtown (2005) and Esquena nua (2006) (Bare Back). Between 1989 and 2007, he directed the cultural supplement of AVUI, the most widely circulated newspaper in the Catalan language.
Since his youth he has been a tireless cultural activist and hence has brought together a range of alternative groups, organising and directing poetry festivals and working together with jazz and rock musicians. His
poetry and novels are characterised by a spareness of form, relentless sincerity, rock motifs and urban settings. Wherever he is, he gleans the poetic spirit transforming it into a geographic imaginary: Barcelona’s Barri Xino (once the old city’s red-light district), the Rambla, Montevideo, Manila or New York as in Downtown (2005) whose poems were born in long walks around the city of skyscrapers, before and after 11 September.
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SELECTED WORKS
POETRY
· Ser del segle
(empúries, 1989) [‘A Being of the Century’].
· La muntanya russa
(Pagès, 1993) [‘The Roller-coaster’].
· Game Over
(Proa, 1998).
· El pont de Mühlberg
(Proa, 2000) [‘Mühlberg Bridge’].
· Menta i altres poemes
(La Garua, 2005) [‘Mint and other Poems’].
· Downtown
(Icaria, 2005).
· Esquena nua
(Proa, 2006) [‘Bare Back’].
FICTION
· El cel de l’infern
(Proa, 1999) [‘Hell’s Heaven’].
· No miris enrere
(Proa, 2002) [‘Don’t Look Back’].
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LATEST WORKS IN TRANSLATION
ITALIAN
· El pont de Mülhberg, tr. G. Nadrani & M. Carreras. Faenza: tratti-Mobydick, 2006.
RUSSIAN
· 40 poslie 39 [Anthology], tr. elena Zernova. Sant Petersburg: Sankt Petersburgskogo universiteta, 2002.
SPANISH
· En tierra de nadie. Poesia completa 1981 - 2002. Malaga: Ciudad del Paraíso, 2000.
· El cielo del infierno, tr. L. Santana. Barcelona: Anagrama, 2001.
· Sol de sal la nueva poesía catalana (antología 1976-2001), tr. Jordi Virallonga. Barcelona: DVD ediciones, 2001.
· Bandera negra [Anthology], tr. A. Balasch & D. Rico. Madrid: Sial, 2002.
· Sin mirar atrás, tr. L. Santana. Barcelona: Anagrama, 2003.
· He decidido seguir viviendo... [Anthology], tr. José Bru & Jorge Souza. Mexico: universidad de Guadalajara, 2004.
· Downtown. Barcelona: Icaria, 2006.
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