Spain Culture News
The celebrated Spanish author, Francisco Ayala, has died
By m.p. - Nov 4, 2009 - 5:27 PM
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Francisco Ayala - EFE
He died at his home on Tuesday at the age of 103
The celebrated award-winning author, Francisco Ayala, has died at his home in Madrid this Tuesday just a few months after celebrating his 103rd birthday. He would have turned 104 next March.
This remarkable man was born in Granada in 1906 and was not only an eminent novelist, publishing his first novel at the age of 19, but was also a noted essayist, had been a university professor and was a respected sociologist. He was seen as one of the greatest Spanish writers of the 20th Century.
The author’s awards include the Cervantes Prize and the Prince of Asturias Award for Literature, and he had been proposed for the Nobel Prize for Literature on a number of occasions. His funeral takes place on Wednesday when his remains will be cremated in a private ceremony in Madrid.