Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel

Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel (born 1966 in Santa Isabel, Spanish Guinea - now Malabo, Equatorial Guinea) is an Annobonese writer from Equatorial Guinea. He migrated to Spain in protest of the current government in Equatorial Guinea.[1][2]

Background and early life

Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel was born on 6 November 1966 in Malabo, Spanish Guinea (now Equatorial Guinea), the son of Manuel Ávila Fernández and Luisa Laurel Bizantino, both teachers and Spanish settlers from Annobón island. He studied primary school in Annobón (Annobonese language) and then completed his secondary studies in Malabo. Ávila Laurel graduated as a medical nurse.

Writings

Juan Tomás Avila Laurel is a member of the “new” Equatorial-Guinean literature movement, a generation of young authors whose first texts began to appear in the 1990s. He is considered one of the leading representatives of what has been called “New Guinean lyricism”.

His work is characterized by and incisive criticism of the social and political realities, and the economic inequalities, in his country in particular and in Africa in general. He has participated in literary activities of the Centro Cultural Hispano-Guineano at Malabo. He has written novel, poetry and essay. He works as an editor in chief for El Patio, published by the Centro Cultural Hispano-Guineano.

Themes as an essayist

His writings as an essayist are noted for thought provoking commentary — sometimes in a markedly pessimistic vein — on a variety of subjects relating to Equatorial Guinea including descriptions of the geographical and psychological situation of Annobón and reflections on the national flag.

Works

In 2003 was appointed Joseph G. Astman Distinguished Faculty Lecturer at Hofstra University, New York. He has been invited speaker at conferences in Korea, Switzerland, and several times in Spain and in the United States. He is the author of more than a dozen books, including novels, plays, poetry, essays, and film scripts, and has several unpublished manuscripts, some of them forthcoming. Among his published titles are:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "El escritor Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel abandona Guinea Ecuatorial para protestar contra Obiang desde España". El País, Internacional. El País, Internacional. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "BLOGGER AND LITERARY MAGAZINE EDITOR STARTS HUNGER STRIKE IN PROTEST AGAINST LACK OF FREEDOM". Reporters Without Borders. Retrieved 16 August 2012.

External links