Josep Maria Espinàs
Josep Maria Espinàs Massip (7 March 1927 – 5 February 2023) was a Spanish writer, journalist and publisher known for his novels, travel writing and newspaper articles. Author of an extensive body of literature, Espinàs was honored with the Premi d'Honor de les Lletres Catalanes, the Premi Joanot Martorell, the Premi Sant Jordi and the Premi Víctor Català. In the 1960s he played a key role in the development of the Nova Cançó movement, co-founding the musical group Els Setze Jutges.
Also recorded as Josep Maria Espinàs i Massip · Josep Maria Espinàs Massip · Josep Maria Espinas
Josep Maria Espinàs
Òmnium Cultural · _DC92115 · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Born
- 1927 · Barcelona.
- Died
- 2023 · Barcelona.
- Nationality
- Spain
- Occupation
- journalist · writer · businessperson · jurist · lawyer · editor · poet
- Education
- University of Barcelona · Piarists
- Honours
- Gold Medal of the Generalitat of Catalonia · Premi d'Honor de les Lletres Catalanes · Saint George's Cross · Premi Sant Jordi de novel·la · National Prize for Journalism · Gold Letter
- Languages
- Catalan · Spanish
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wikidata · Q3133221 · wikipedia · Josep Maria Espinàs
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Institutions cited
Bibliothèque nationale de France · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
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Biography
Biography
Espinàs cowrote, with Jaume Picas, the lyrics to the official anthem of FC Barcelona, El Cant del Barça.
Documentary record
Place of activity recorded by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek: Barcelona.
Josep Maria Espinàs studied at University of Barcelona and Piarists. The recorded working language is Catalan and Spanish. Positions recorded include member of the Reial Acadèmia de Bones Lletres de Barcelona. Distinctions recorded are Gold Medal of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Premi d'Honor de les Lletres Catalanes, Saint George's Cross and Premi Sant Jordi de novel·la.
Espinàs was born on 7 March 1927 in the city of Barcelona. He studied at Piarists schools until 1945, when he entered the School of Law of the Universitat de Barcelona, earning his degree in 1949. That same year he won the Guimerà prize with his first article. He practiced as an attorney until 1955, when he joined the publishing house Editorial Destino. In 1983, he was awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi. Espinàs was cofounder of the publishing house La Campana. He traveled extensively on foot through rural areas of Catalonia and other parts of Spain, publishing books about many of these voyages, and also traveled on foot through much of Europe, Israel, India, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, and the United States.
Documentary record
Josep Maria Espinàs appears in the authority records of the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek as a writer, journalist and jurist (7 March 1927 – 6 February 2023). Josep Maria Espinàs was born on 7 March 1927 and died on 6 February 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. Josep Maria Espinàs was born in Barcelona, Spain, according to the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek and the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Literary career
Literary career
In 1953 he became known as a writer when he obtained the Joanot Martorell Prize for the novel Com ganivets o flames. From this point he began to enjoy success as an author with Dotze bumerangs (1954) i El gandul (1955). With Tots som iguals (1956), which appeared in English translation in the United States in 1961 as By nature equal, he gained international recognition, earning critical acclaim from the New York Herald Tribune, The New York Times, and The Washington Post and the magazine Book of the Month. In 1961 he won the Premi Sant Jordi de novel·la with L'últim replà, and began a long period in which he produced few novels, the exceptions being La collita del diable (1968) and Vermell i passa (1992). In 1986 he published letters addressed to his daughter, who has Down syndrome, under the title El teu nom és Olga (Your name is Olga). The book was a success and was translated into numerous languages.
La Nova Cançó
La Nova Cançó
In 1961 Espinàs was one of the founders, with Miquel Porter i Moix and Remei Margarit, of Els Setze Jutges. He sang and recorded Catalan versions of Georges Brassens songs, traditional Catalan songs, and original compositions to further the Nova Cançó movement, but when professional Catalan-language singers appeared he retired from singing. He also wrote and recorded a story for children, Viatge a la Lluna (Voyage to the Moon), with music by Xavier Montsalvatge. In 2007 he was awarded the Medalla d'Honor of the Parliament of Catalonia in recognition of his work with Els Setze Jutges.
Journalism
Journalism
On 23 April 1976, he began to publish a daily column in the new Catalan-language daily Avui, entitled A la vora de...., which ran uninterrupted until January 1999, winning various awards. Later he moved to write for El Periódico de Catalunya, with the opinion column, which he still writes. Espinàs also hosted television interview programs, including Personal i intrasferible on Canal 33; Identitats on TV3, from 1984 to 1988; and Senyals on Canal 33, from 1989 to 1990.
Short stories
Short stories
• Vestir-se per morir. Barcelona: Albertí, 1958. • Variétés. Barcelona: Selecta, 1959. • Els joves i els altres. Barcelona: Albertí, 1960. • Els germans petits de tothom. Barcelona: La Galera, 1968. • Guia de ciutadans anònims (amb dibuixos de Cesc). Barcelona: La Campana, 1993. • Un racó de paraigua. Barcelona: La Campana, 1997.
Novels
Novels
• Com ganivets o flames. Barcelona: Selecta, 1954. • Dotze bumerangs. Barcelona: Albertí, 1954. • El gandul. Barcelona: Selecta, 1955. • Tots som iguals. Barcelona: Aymà, 1956. • La trampa. Barcelona: Albertí, 1956. • L´home de la guitarra. Barcelona: Albertí, 1957. • Combat de nit. Barcelona: Aymà, 1959. • L´últim replà. Barcelona: Club Editor, 1962. • La collita del diable. Barcelona: Alfaguara, 1968. • Vermell i passa. Barcelona: La Campana, 1992.
Non-fiction prose
Non-fiction prose
• Petit observatori. Barcelona: Pòrtic, 1971. • La gent tal com és. Barcelona: Selecta, 1971. • Visions de Cadaqués. Barcelona: Grup 33, 1978. • Els nostres objectes de cada dia. Barcelona: Ed. 62, 1981. • El teu nom és Olga. Barcelona: La Campana, 1986. • Inventari de jubilacions. Barcelona: La Campana, 1992. • L'ecologisme és un egoisme. Barcelona: La Campana, 1993.
Travel narratives
Travel narratives
• Viatge al Pirineu de Lleida. Barcelona: Selecta, 1957; Barcelona: La Campana, 2000. • Viatge al Priorat. Barcelona: Selecta, 1962; Barcelona: La Campana, 2000. • Viatge a la Segarra. Barcelona: Dopesa, 1972; Barcelona: La Campana, 2000. • A peu per la Terra Alta. Barcelona: La Campana, 1989. • A peu per la Llitera. Barcelona: La Campana, 1990. • A peu per l'Alt Maestrat. Barcelona: La Campana, 1991. • A peu pels camins de cendra. Barcelona: La Campana, 1994. • A peu per l'Alcalatén. Barcelona: La Campana, 1996. • A peu pel Matarranya. Barcelona: La Campana, 1996. • A peu pel Comtat i la Marina. Barcelona: La Campana, 1998. • A peu per Castella. Barcelona: La Campana, 1999. • A peu pel País Basc. Barcelona: La Campana, 2000. • A peu per Extremadura. Barcelona: La Campana, 2001. • A peu per Mallorca sen veure el mar. Barcelona: La Campana, 2005. • A peu per Aragó. El Somontano. Barcelona: La Campana, 2006. • A peu per l´Alt Camp. Barcelona: La Campana, 2007. • A peu per Múrcia. Barcelona: La Campana, 2009.
Literary journalism
Literary journalism
• A la vora de l'Avui (6 vol.). Barcelona: La Llar del Llibre, 1977-1987.
Memoirs
Memoirs
• El nen de la plaça Ballot. Barcelona: La Campana, 1988. • Relacions Particulars. Barcelona: La Campana, 2007. • El meu ofici. Barcelona: La Campana, 2008.
Biography and Interviews
Biography and Interviews
• Josep M. de Sagarra. Barcelona: Alcides, 1962. • Identitats (3 vol.). Barcelona: La Campana, 1985-1988. • Lluís Llach. Història de les seves cançons explicada a Josep Maria Espinàs: La Campana, 1986.
Other
Other
• Carrers de Barcelona. Barcelona: Selecta, 1961. • Barcelona, blanc i negre (amb Xavier Miserachs). Barcelona: Aymà, 1964. • Això també és Barcelona. Barcelona: Lumen, 1965. • Els germans petits de tothom. Barcelona: La Galera, 1988. • Viatge pels grans magatzems. Barcelona: La Campana, 1993.
Theatre
Theatre
• És perillós fer-se esperar. Barcelona: Nereida, 1959.
Work written in Spanish
Work written in Spanish
• Guía del Pirineo de Lérida, 1958 (Travel narrative). • Guía de Tarragona, Barcelona: Ed. Noguer, 1964 (Travel narrative). • Pi de la Serra, Oviedo: Ed. Júcar, 1974 (Non-fiction).
Discography with Els Setze Jutges
• Espinàs canta Brassens (Josep Maria Espinàs), 1962. • Cançons tradicionals catalanes (Josep Maria Espinàs), 1962. • Espinàs canta les seves cançons (Josep Maria Espinàs), 1963. • Nadal a casa (Josep Maria Espinàs - Maria Cinta), 1963. • Tu no estàs sol (Josep Maria Espinàs), 1963. • Josep Maria Espinàs i orquestra (Josep Maria Espinàs), 1964. • Els planificadors (Josep Maria Espinàs), 1965. • Els noctàmbuls (Josep Maria Espinàs), 1966.
Josep Maria Espinàs Diada de Sant Jordi 2014
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Signatura de llibres en la Diada de Sant Jordi-2015 a Barcelona
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The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Josep Maria Espinàs, revision 1371817357 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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Studied at
1- University of BarcelonaOrganisation
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 19 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
39,529 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Josep Manyanet i VivesAuthor
- Josep Maria Benet i JornetAuthor
- Josep Maria CastelletAuthor
- Josep Maria de SagarraAuthor
- Josep Navarro SantaeulàliaAuthor
- Josep Palau i FabreAuthor
- Josep Pedrals i UrdànizAuthor
- Josep Piera i RubióAuthor
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