Antonio Cillero

Antonio Cillero Ulecia (Navarrete, La Rioja, June 13, 1917 - Logroño January 16, 2007), was a Spanish writer with a broad and varied body of work that encompassed the genres of essay, poetry, novel, and, above all, theatre. Author of around 250 literary works, he was considered the "patriarch of Rioja literature" at the time of his death.

Biography Literature, and especially theatre, was the vital core of Antonio Cillero. He premiered his first play in 1940 and by 1942 he was already a member of the General Society of Authors of Spain.

Between 1943 and 1948, theatre companies of Antonio Navarro, Guzmán-Franco, and Ernesto Gómez performed his plays, such as Con ese hombre no me caso, El señorito, and Como una madre, among other theatrical companies.

In 1949, he left Spain with part of his family, heading to Buenos Aires. There he premiered, among others, the plays El Bobalicón, El pan del año, and Tierra sedienta.

In 1965, he returned to Spain. He premiered, at the Ateneo de Madrid, Confesión pública, a satirical monologue in two acts, which would be performed in several Ibero-American countries. In 1969, he premiered La gran mascarada in Madrid.

In 1973, he published two poetry books Mi sentir y mi canción and El llanto de las fuentes. In 1975, he edited the essay Una cuenca desconocida. El Najerilla, paying tribute to his Rioja land.

In 1998, he donated his artistic legacy to the University of La Rioja, which included ten works of art, 2,880 bibliographic volumes, as well as lithic tools, bones, ceramics, fossils, coins, and banknotes of various origins. In recognition, the University of La Rioja awarded him the Patronage Medal in 2007.

In 2017, his heirs donated 45 manuscripts of Antonio Cillero Ulecia's works to the University of La Rioja in order to "make them accessible to students and researchers who wish to delve into his work," and a commemorative event was organized for the centenary of his birth.

In 2021, the City Council of Navarrete and Editorial Buscarini promoted the re-edition of his novel 'Pascasio y Vinagre' as a testimony of "remembrance, admiration, and gratitude" on the 50th anniversary of the declaration of the town as a Historical-Artistic Ensemble.

Awards and Recognition

Awards Among others:

2007 Patronage Medal of the University of La Rioja

Prizes Among others:

1995 Finalist Premio Nadal 1972 Finalist Alfaguara Prize.

Notes and References