José Luis Diaz Granados (Colombia)

Por: José Luis Diaz Granados

July 8th to 15th, 2017

INVITED POETS

Jose Luis Diaz Granados was born in Santa Marta, Colombia, in 1946. He is a poet, novelist, journalist and university professor. Bibliographical Critic of the “Sunday Readings” section of El Tiempo (Newspaper) 1979-2000. He has been President of the Colombian House of Solidarity with the Populations (1992-2000); President of the National Union of Writers (UNE) (1996-1997); Professor of the "Octavio Paz" Chair in the Master's Program in Literature at Javeriana University (2005) and of the Colombian Author Seminar "Luis Vidales" at the Undergraduate Program in Literature at the same university (2006). He is currently member of the National Council of Culture and a Delegate of the Ministry of Culture to that body (2013-2018). He traveled through the USSR, Eastern Europe and Cuba. He hosted the tv program “Window on Books” (1993-1997).

Poetry prize "Carabela" (Barcelona, ​​Spain, 1968); "Simon Bolivar" National Prize for Journalism (Best Interview in the Press), for his interview of the poet Luis Vidales (Bogota, Colombia, 1990). Medal of Friendship of the Council of State of Cuba (2001), "Centenario Pablo Neruda" Presidential Medal of Honor (Government of Chile, 2004), Mention of Honoris Causa of La Gran Colombia University (Bogota, Colombia, 2006). Books of poetry: The Labyrinth (1968-1984), The Perpetual Celebration. Poetic work, 1962-2002 (2003), The Labyrinth: Poetic Anthology, 1968-2008 (Fondo de Cultura Economica, 2014), Complete Poetry (3 volumes, 2015). His novel The Gates of Hell (1985), was  finalist of the "Romulo Gallegos" Prize in 1987. He has also published several books of poems for children: Various Games and Verses; Morning Notebook; Spring Rites and The Mongolian Nightingale. He is also the autor of the play: The Night Doll (1996) and the essays (The Other Pablo Neruda, 2003) and journalism (Gabo in My Memory, 2013).

Published at May 27th, 2017