Pedro García Cabrera
Encyclopedia
Pedro García Cabrera was a Spanish
writer and poet. A member of the Generation of '27
, he is considered one of the greatest poets of the Canary Islands
.
, on the island of La Gomera
, at the age of seven he moved with his family to Seville
, where his father, a teacher, had found work. Three years later, his family moved to the island of Tenerife
. García Cabrera received his bachelor's degree from the Instituto General y Técnico de La Laguna
, and he wrote and published his first pieces of poetry in periodicals such as La voz de Junonia, Gaceta de Tenerife, Cartones (which he co-founded in 1930), and Hespérides. In 1928 appeared one of his most important works, Líquenes, which deals with the subject of islands and the sea.
He participated, with other local writers, in the creation of the periodical known as Gaceta de Arte (1932–1936), a literary and philosophical magazine dealing with cinema
and the fine arts. The magazine enjoyed international readership and connected him and other writers of the Canary Islands with intellectuals from mainland Europe
, such as the surrealists
.
Transparencias fugadas appeared in 1934. His Obras Completas were published posthumously in 1987. García Cabrera wrote not only lyrical poetry, but also plays and political texts.
In the 1920s, in the days of the Second Spanish Republic
, García Cabrera had become active in politics as a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
(PSOE), and in 1931 he ran for office in municipal elections as a representative of the Republican
-Socialist coalition that had toppled the Bourbon
monarchy of Alfonso XIII
. His political activities were both intensive and extensive, and he served as a spokesperson for the PSOE in the municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
and the island government of Tenerife
. He served as editor of the periodical El Socialista.
he was arrested, together with other Republican politicians, for his socialist
leanings on 18 July 1936 and incarcerated on a prison ship
, in narnia. He was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment. On August 19, he was sent, with 36 other people, on the ship Viera y Clavijo to the prison camp at Villa Cisneros, in the Spanish Sahara
. In March 1937, he managed to escape and made his way to Dakar
. He remained there for seven months. It is unclear how he spent his time there or how he survived, but it is known that he met the Senegal
ese poet Léopold Sédar Senghor
.
From Dakar he made his way to Marseilles. He entered Spain by train and joined the Republican front in Andalusia
, serving in military intelligence
. One night, when he was returning to Jaén
from a mission in Andújar
, his jeep
collided with a train
carrying wounded soldiers. Four of his companions died, and García Cabrera suffered severe burns on his legs. He was interned in the civilian hospital in Jaén. He was arrested once more in Granada
, a few months before the conclusion of the war. He remained imprisoned until 1946.
Later publications include Día de alondras (1951), La esperanza me mantiene (1959), Entre cuatro paredes (1968), Vuelta à la isla (1968), Hora punta del hombre (1970), Las islas en que vivo (1971), Elegías muertas de hambre (1975), Ojos que no ven (1977) and Hacia la libertad (1978).
From 10 to 14 October [2005, an international academic conference
, with the support of the University of La Laguna and the cabildo (island government) of La Gomera, was held in La Gomera to celebrate the centenary of his birth.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
writer and poet. A member of the Generation of '27
Generation of '27
The Generation of '27 was an influential group of poets that arose in Spanish literary circles between 1923 and 1927, essentially out of a shared desire to experience and work with avant-garde forms of art and poetry. Their first formal meeting took place in Seville in 1927 to mark the 300th...
, he is considered one of the greatest poets of the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
.
Early life
Born in VallehermosoVallehermoso, Santa Cruz de Tenerife
The municipality of Vallehermoso is located on the southwestern and northwestern coasts of La Gomera in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife of the Canary Islands...
, on the island of La Gomera
La Gomera
La Gomera is one of Spain's Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. In area, it is the second-smallest of the seven main islands of this group.- Political organization :...
, at the age of seven he moved with his family to Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, where his father, a teacher, had found work. Three years later, his family moved to the island of Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
. García Cabrera received his bachelor's degree from the Instituto General y Técnico de La Laguna
San Cristóbal de la Laguna
San Cristóbal de La Laguna is a city and municipality in the northern part of the island of Tenerife in the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, on the Canary Islands . The city is third-most populous city of the archipelago and second-most populous city of the island. It is a suburban area of the...
, and he wrote and published his first pieces of poetry in periodicals such as La voz de Junonia, Gaceta de Tenerife, Cartones (which he co-founded in 1930), and Hespérides. In 1928 appeared one of his most important works, Líquenes, which deals with the subject of islands and the sea.
He participated, with other local writers, in the creation of the periodical known as Gaceta de Arte (1932–1936), a literary and philosophical magazine dealing with cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and the fine arts. The magazine enjoyed international readership and connected him and other writers of the Canary Islands with intellectuals from mainland Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, such as the surrealists
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
.
Transparencias fugadas appeared in 1934. His Obras Completas were published posthumously in 1987. García Cabrera wrote not only lyrical poetry, but also plays and political texts.
In the 1920s, in the days of the Second Spanish Republic
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
, García Cabrera had become active in politics as a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
(PSOE), and in 1931 he ran for office in municipal elections as a representative of the Republican
Republican Left (Spain)
The Republican Left was a Spanish left-wing republican party founded in 1934.The party was founded in 1934 following the left's defeat in the 1933 election, by the merger of Manuel Azaña's Republican Action, part of Marcelino Domingo's Radical Socialist Republican Party and Santiago Casares...
-Socialist coalition that had toppled the Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
monarchy of Alfonso XIII
Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII was King of Spain from 1886 until 1931. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, was appointed regent during his minority...
. His political activities were both intensive and extensive, and he served as a spokesperson for the PSOE in the municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital , second-most populous city of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and the 21st largest city in Spain, with a population of 222,417 in 2009...
and the island government of Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
. He served as editor of the periodical El Socialista.
Imprisonment, escape, and imprisonment once more
At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
he was arrested, together with other Republican politicians, for his socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
leanings on 18 July 1936 and incarcerated on a prison ship
Prison ship
A prison ship, historically sometimes called a prison hulk, is a vessel used as a prison, often to hold convicts awaiting transportation to penal colonies. This practice was popular with the British government in the 18th and 19th centuries....
, in narnia. He was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment. On August 19, he was sent, with 36 other people, on the ship Viera y Clavijo to the prison camp at Villa Cisneros, in the Spanish Sahara
Spanish Sahara
Spanish Sahara was the name used for the modern territory of Western Sahara when it was ruled as a territory by Spain between 1884 and 1975...
. In March 1937, he managed to escape and made his way to Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
. He remained there for seven months. It is unclear how he spent his time there or how he survived, but it is known that he met the Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
ese poet Léopold Sédar Senghor
Léopold Sédar Senghor
Léopold Sédar Senghor was a Senegalese poet, politician, and cultural theorist who for two decades served as the first president of Senegal . Senghor was the first African elected as a member of the Académie française. Before independence, he founded the political party called the Senegalese...
.
From Dakar he made his way to Marseilles. He entered Spain by train and joined the Republican front in Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, serving in military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
. One night, when he was returning to Jaén
Jaén, Spain
Jaén is a city in south-central Spain, the name is derived from the Arabic word Jayyan, . It is the capital of the province of Jaén. It is located in the autonomous community of Andalusia....
from a mission in Andújar
Andújar
Andújar is a Spanish municipality of 38,539 people in the province of Jaén, in Andalusia. The municipality is divided by the Guadalquivir River. The northern part of the municipality is where the Natural Park of the Sierra de Andújar is situated. To the south are agricultural fields and...
, his jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
collided with a train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
carrying wounded soldiers. Four of his companions died, and García Cabrera suffered severe burns on his legs. He was interned in the civilian hospital in Jaén. He was arrested once more in Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
, a few months before the conclusion of the war. He remained imprisoned until 1946.
War works
García Cabrera's profoundest and most universal works concern his experiences in prison and in wartime. Entre la guerra y tu, a dense and complex work, was written furtively in jail between the years 1936 and 1939. While in Villa Cisneros, he wrote La arena y la intimidad (1940), which concerns his experiences not only as a prisoner of the Nationalists but also of the desert. The Romancero cautivo (1936–1939) is an umbrella title for the three short collections of ballads that were also written in captivity. These are:- Con el alma en un hilo (1936–1937)
- En el puño del recuerdo (1940)
- Agenda de un prisionero (1939–1940)
Later works
Though he was released, he remained under strict vigilance in a state of house arrest (libertad vigilada), and lived in the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, occupying a minor bureaucratic post.Later publications include Día de alondras (1951), La esperanza me mantiene (1959), Entre cuatro paredes (1968), Vuelta à la isla (1968), Hora punta del hombre (1970), Las islas en que vivo (1971), Elegías muertas de hambre (1975), Ojos que no ven (1977) and Hacia la libertad (1978).
From 10 to 14 October [2005, an international academic conference
Academic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
, with the support of the University of La Laguna and the cabildo (island government) of La Gomera, was held in La Gomera to celebrate the centenary of his birth.
Further reading
- C. Brian Morris, Entre la guerra y tú, de Pedro García Cabrera: guerra, prisión y poesía (Santa Cruz de Tenerife: Ediciones Idea, 2009).