Isabel-Clara Simó

This is a Catalan name. The first family name is Simó and the second is Monllor.

Isabel-Clara Simó
250px Isabel-Clara Simó at the Setmana del Llibre en Català, in Sant Cugat, 2009
Born	(1943-04-04) April 4, 1943 Alcoi (Spain)
Occupation	Writer, journalist, politician
Notable awards	Premi Víctor Català (1978) Premi Andròmina de narrativa (2001) Premi Sant Jordi de novel·la (2003) Premi de la Crítica dels Escriptors Valencians d'assaig (2004) Premi de Novel·la Ciutat d'Alzira (2007) Premi Trajectòria (2009) Premi Jaume Fuster dels Escriptors en Llengua Catalana (2013)

Isabel-Clara Simó i Monllor (1943) is a Spanish journalist and writer born in the town of Alcoi located in the Valencian Community. She is considered one of the most important writers in the Catalan language.

Simó has been awarded several prizes, including the Premi Sant Jordi in 1993. As a journalist, she was the director of Canigó magazine and has a daily column in the newspaper Avui. She was a delegate of the Culture Department of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

Biography

Isabel-Clara Simó is BSc+MSc on Philosophy for the Universitat de València and Journalism, and PhD on Romance Philology. She taught at Bunyol and afterwards at the IES Ramon Muntaner of Figueres, town where her kids were born, and at the IES Sant Josep de Calasanç of Barcelona. She turned to journalism in 1972 as a director of the weekly Canigó and collaborated in a regular basis in several media. She has created in her tales and novels a number of complex characters who have conflictive relationships, such as La Nati (1991), Raquel (1992), those from Històries perverses (1992) or those from T'imagines la vida sense ell? (2000). Some works as Júlia (1983) or D'Alcoi a Nova York (1987) have been set on Alcoi, her birthplace.

She was awarded the Sant Jordi prize in 1993, for La salvatge. She was deputy of Books for the Departament de Cultura of the Generalitat de Catalunya. In 1999 she received the Creu de Sant Jordi, for her career. The collection Dones (1997) was adapted to the cinema in 2000. More recently, she published L'home que volava en el trapezi (2002) and her collection of articles at the journal Avui, titled En legítima defensa. She has also had a great success, both from critics and audience, for her theatre piece Còmplices, taken to the scenarios by Pep Cortès.

File:Isabel-Clara Simó rep el premi Trajectòria.JPG

Isabel-Clara Simó receives the Trajectòria prize from Josep Maria Castellet. Right, Carles Solà. Background, Jordi Boixaderas and Albert Pèlach

In 1993 she won the Premi Crítica Serra d'Or de narració for Històries perverses. In 2001 she received the Andròmina prize for her work Hum... Rita!: L'home que ensumava dones, and in 2004 the Crítica dels Escriptors Valencians prize for her essay En legítima defensa. In 2007, she won the Premi de Novel·la Ciutat d'Alzira with El meu germà Pol.

As a journalist, she has been director of the weekly Canigó, she wrote a number of articles for the journal Avui and nowadays for El Punt Avui.

In 2009 she was awarded the Trajectòria prize at the Setmana del Llibre en Català. According to the organization, this award recognizes the huge work of the writer and her effort in protecting the Catalan language. In 2013, she received the Golden Medal of the City council of Alcoi, as well as its Key to the City.

Selected works

• Júlia (1983)
• D'Alcoi a Nova York (19878)
• La veïna (1990)
• La Nati (1991)
• Raquel (1992)
• Històries perverses (1992)
• La Salvatge (1994)
• Dones (1997)
• El gust amarg de la cervesa (1999)
• T'imagines la vida sense ell? (2000)
• Carta al meu nét. Sobre el nacionalisme (2000)
• La Nati (2001)
• Estimats homes (una caricatura) (2001)
• L'home que volava en el trapezi (2002)
• En legítima defensa (2003)
• Angelets (2004)
• Adeu-Suau (2006)
• El caníbal (2007)
• Un Tros de Cel (2012)