Poet, essayist, researcher and pedagogue. He is an important exponent of the highest Cuban intellectual thought. Creator of a wide and varied poetic and essayist work, he is having a revolutionary viewpoint holding a rich pedagogical and research activity about socio-cultural themes, highlighting those coming from Hispanic America.

Around 1948 and 1952, he studied Humanity at Havana University, achieving in 1954 his Doctorade in Philosophy and Letters in this institution. In 1956 studied in London and Paris with linguist André Martinet. In 1986, he achieved Doctorate in Filologic Sciences and was honoured as Professor of Universidad Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú. In 1988, he was bestowed with Doctor Honoris Cause Title at University of Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1993, Doctor Honoris Causa at University of Buenos Aires, Argentine and in 1995, Professor Emeritus of Havana University. Since 1995, he is member of Cuban Language Academy and currently President of Casa de las Américas.

Retamar has been collaborating with and heading important Cuban publications such as, Nueva Revista Cubana, being its director 1959-1960; founder of Revista Unión(1962); founder of National Writers and Artists Union of Cuba (UNEAC) (1964), director in 1965 of Casa de las Américas Magazine and head of the jury at XVII International Havana Film Festival in 1995.

He has developed also a remarkable pedagogical labor in Cuba and abroad about linguistic, humanistic and socio-cultural themes, working at Havana, San Marcos in Lima, Sofia and Buenos Aires. He worked as Cultural Adviser of Cuba in France among 1959-1960, is Representative of National Assembly of Poder Popular and Member of Council State.

Retamar has been bestowed with outstanding Prizes. On 1952, National Prize of Poetry; Rúben Dario Latin American Prize on 1980; Felix Varela Order of first grade on 1981; International Prize of Poetry Nikola Vaptsarov in Bulgaria on 1989; in this same year National Prize of Literature in Cuba, International Prize of Poetry Pérez Bonalde from Argentina and Official Medal of Arts and Letters, conferred by France on 1994. In 1998, he was bestowed with Orden de Mayo in Argentina and in 2000, International Institute of Ibero American Literature devoted a volume to his series Criticas.

Profound researcher and studious of Marti`s work, is author of an extense bibliography about our Cuban National Hero, contributing in a great sense to the difussion and knowledge of his creation, his pedagogical work and his labor as founder and director from 1977 to 1986 of Center of Marti Studies and its Anuario. In 1998 he became President of the Assessor Council from Marti Program Office.

Among his poetic work we can highlight, Elegía como un himno (Elegy as an hymn) (1950); Patrias (Homelands) (1952); Vuelta de la antigua esperanza (Returning from the Ancient Hoping) (1959); Buena suerte viviendo (Good Luck Living) (1967); Juana y otros temas personales (Juana and Other Personal Themes) (1981); Aquí (Here) (1995), which are one of the most remarkable compositions of our Cuban Contemporary Literature. Among its relevant studies and socio-cultural essays are worthy to mention, Idea de la estilística (Idea of Stylistic) (1958); Ensayo de otro mundo (Essay of other world) (1967); Calibán (1971) and Introducción a Martí (Introduction to Martí) (1978).

See more information at Cubaliteraria


See works from this author in Books Shop