Barral, Carlos, 1928-1989

Carlos Barral i Agesta (Barcelona, 1928-1989). Publisher, writer and politician. He was major figure in the publishing world of the twentieth century. He developed his career as a publisher at Seix Barral between 1950 and 1970, when he founded his own publishers, Barral Editores (1970-1979).

As a writer, in the early fifties, Barral contributed to the magazine, Laye, in which Josep Maria Castellet, Jaime Gil de Biedma, Juan i José Agustín Goytisolo and Gabriel Ferrater were also involved, among others. In 1952, he published his first book of poems, Las aguas reiteradas although the magazine, Estilo, had already published some of his poems in 1949. In the seventies, he was known as a writer of memoirs, with his first volume Años de penitencia (1975), followed by Los años sin excusa (1978) and Cuando las horas veloces (1988).

In 1982, he published the travel book Catalunya des del mar, his first work in Catalan and in 1985, Catalunya a vol d'ocell, both containing photographs by Xavier Miserachs. In 1983, he took his first steps into the genre of novels with Penúltimos castigos, which caused some controversy. Also in the eighties, he published various poems and one fairy tale.

In 1983, he was awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi (Saint George's Cross) and in 1988 he won the Premio Comillas for his latest volume of memoirs.

With childhood ties to Calafell, in 1999, the local council acquired Barral's old seafront home along with a legacy of documents and art, and created the Museu Casa Barral (Barral House Museum).

Viquipèdia

Who is who (Institució de les Lletres Catalanes)

Carlos Barral Collection in the Biblioteca de Catalunya

Carlos Barral publishing correspondence, 1956-1984

Museu Casa Barral (Barral House Museum) in Calafell