Honours for Marias, one of greatest living writers

30 June 2006

MADRID — Javier Marias, considered “one of Spain’s leading contemporary novelists”, was elected to the prestigious Royal Spanish Academy on Friday.

Marias, who was born in Madrid in 1951, is best known for his novels Tomorrow in the Battle Think On Me and Fever and Spear.

His candidacy was proposed by Academy members Arturo Perez-Reverte, Gregorio Salvador and Claudio Guillen – all highly regarded novelists.

After hearing the news, Marias said it was “an honour” to have been elected member of a “learned, civilized, secular, cultured and independent (institution) like the Royal Spanish Academy, which is three centuries old”.

The Royal Spanish Academy, founded in 1713, is the institution responsible for regulating the Spanish language.

Marias said that he had been nominated 12 years ago, “but it didn’t seem right since my father,” philosopher Julian Marias, was already a member of the institution.

“My father, however, told me before he died that if they nominated me again and I didn’t accept I would regret it. Although I’ve never paid much attention to my parents, I followed that advice,” he added.

Being elected to the Royal Spanish Academy on the first ballot is not easy because it requires the vote of two-thirds of the Academy’s 42 sitting members.

Royal Spanish Academy Secretary Guillermo Rojo said it was “very rare” to see such broad support for a candidate and highlighted the importance of Marias’ work, which has been translated into 34 languages.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news