Eugen Barbu

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Eugen Barbu (February 20, 1924 - September 7, 1993) was a modern Romanian novelist, playwright, journalist, and correspondent member of the Romanian Academy. The latter position which was vehemently criticised by those who contended that he plagiarized in his novel Incognito and for the anti-Semitic campaigns he initiated in the newspapers Săptămâna and România Mare which he founded and led. He also founded, alongside his disciple Corneliu Vadim Tudor, the ultra-nationalist, xenophobic, anti-Semitic and Anti-American Greater Romania Party. He was married to the actress Marga Barbu.

Born in Bucharest, Barbu briefly attended the University of Bucharest's Faculty of Law and then graduated from the Faculty of Letters (1947), and then worked as a journalist for the left-wing press. He attended meetings of the Sburătorul society, and made his debut in 1955 (with the novella Munca de jos). The following year, he published his first novel, Balonul e rotund.

His most famous writings are the novels Groapa (1957) and Principle (1969); Barbu also wrote several film scripts.

One of the few persons trusted with official criticism on both political and literary issues during the communist dictatorship of Nicolae Ceauşescu, he launched verbal attacks against Romanian intellectuals who had defected the country, as well as against writers who were critical of the regime. He was also involved in the censorship apparatus.

In 1977, Barbu won the Herder Prize that permitted him to offer his protegé Tudor a scholarship year in Vienna.

[edit] References

• Liviu Călin, "Tabel cronologic" ("Chronological Table") to the 4th edition of Principele, Minerva, Bucharest, 1977