Defending our culture

A Poet

Guillén Batista, Nicolás Cristóbal ( 1902 - 1989 )


He was born in July 10, 1902, in Camagüey and died in Havana, in July 17, 1989. Nicolás Cristóbal Guillén Batista, son of journalist Nicolás Guillén Urra and his wife Argelia Batista
Arrieta. Being very young he intensively took part in cultural and political Cuban live, which brough about his exile several times, He joined the Communist Party in 1937.
He worked as typographer before journalism and becoming known as writer. He began his literary production within postmodernism and reinforced it through 1920´s avant-gardé experiences, soon becoming its
most outstanding representative of black or Afro Antillean poetry. He collaborated in Camagüey Gráfico, Orto, Castalia, Alma Máter, Diario de la Marina, La Semana, El Mundo, Hoy, Vanguardia Obrera, Viernes, La Última Hora and El Nacional
from Caracas, editor in El Camagüeyano, Información, El Loco, Resumen and editor in Las Dos Repúblicas, Lis, Mediodía, Gaceta del Caribe, settled and directed the Unión.magazine
Among his great and numerous poetic work are: Motivos de son, Sóngoro
cosongo. Poemas mulatos, West Indies Ltd., Cantos para soldados y sones para
turistas, El son entero, La paloma de vuelo popular, España. Poema en
cuatro angustias y una esperanza, Tengo, El gran Zoo, El diario que a diario,
La rueda dentada, El corazón con que vivo, Por el mar de las Antillas
anda un barco de papel. In Prosa de prisa some of his his journalistic works are gathered.

After the Triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959 he got some significant diplomatic charges, travelled along several countries in cultural and political missions. He was member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and Deputy to the National Assembly of the People´s Power. President of the National Association of Writers and Artistis of Cuba (UNEAC)
Since it was settled, in 1961, until 1989, year of his death..

His work has been translated into several languages. In 1972 the Prize Roma the Viareggio. Was conferred to him.

National Critics Award by :
Páginas Vueltas, 1982

posted by Lilith @ 11:59 AM