Joaquín Gutiérrez

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Other uses: Joaquín Gutiérrez (chess).

Joaquín Gutiérrez (1918–2000) is an emblematic figure of Costa Rican literature, being one of the most internationally known of its authors. He was a member of the Academia Costarricense de la Lengua, and won the Premio Nacional de Cultura, the top literary award in his country. The University of Costa Rica gave him the Honoris Causa doctorate in recognition to his contribution to national culture. Furthermore, La Nación, the most important newspaper in the nation, named him the most important literary figure of the century in 1999.

He was candidate to the Vicepresidency of the Nation in two elections. His bronze statue is exhibited permanently in the National Theater.

He published six novels: "Manglar", Puerto Limón, La Hoja de Aire, Cocorí, "Murámonos Federico" and "Te Acordás, Hermano?".

Gutiérrez was also a poet; his poetry was published in the books "Poesía", "Jicaral" and "Te Conozco Mascarita". Of his many travels he wrote four journals: "Del Mapocho al Vístula", "La URSS Tal Cual", "Crónicas de Otro Mundo" and "Vietnam: Crónicas de Guerra". The author was also responsible for important translations of Shakespeare's plays into Spanish: King Lear, Hamlet, Macbeth and Julius Caesar, published several times in many Latin countries. In China he also translated works by Mao Zedong and Lu Sün.

Puerto Limón, La Hoja de Aire and Cocorí were his most popular works, translated into twelve languages, and winning him prizes in Chile, Cuba, Nicaragua, Poland and Costa Rica.