Biographical sketches of Florencio Delgado Gurriarán

Abstract

Florencio Delgado Gurriarán was born in Córgomo, Valdeorras (Ourense) in 1903, into a middle-class family which resided in several different places outside Galicia due to his father being a government employee. For this reason, he completed his law degree in Valladolid. He loved his native region of Valdeorras and returned in 1928, where he practised as a lawyer for a brief period. His strong interest in reading and culture led him to write poetry and join the Galicianist Party during the Spanish Second Republic. He published his first poetry collection, Bebedeira, in 1934, with the Nós publishing house. The Spanish Civil War forced him to flee to different destinations: Barcelona, Portugal and France, where he joined the Republic army. In the final period of the Spanish Civil War, he helped with preparations to evacuate those on the losing side. He went into exile in Mexico, where he spent the rest of his life and was active in the entire range of activities organised by Galicianists and other political forces in exile against the Franco dictatorship; his commitment to democracy never waned. He returned to Valdeorras three times and published three more poetry collections. He died in California in 1987 whilst visiting one of his daughters who resided there. This year, the RAG has honoured him by dedicating Galician Literature Day to him.