RAMIRO PINILLA, writer

BOOKS. We used to live in the same town, Getxo, by the sea, close to Bilbao. I believe that was the reason why I read his books. But Recuerda, oh, recuerda (1975) really impressed me for a long time, with its mythic beauty. Then one day I met Ramiro at Heathrow airport. I introduced myself. We ended changing seats and we flew sitting together to Bilbao. He invited me and I went to visit him in his house several times in the following years. I wanted to be a writer myself. He used to tell me that writing was about not being afraid of being bad at it.
I believe he is still alive. He must be like 90! He did get the top prizes of Spanish literature like the Nadal Prize in 1960 but I don't know if he has ever been translated into English.

Como vivíamos en el mismo pueblo, Getxo junto al mar, leí sus libros por curiosidad. Pero Recuerda, oh, recuerda (1975) me impresionó durante bastante tiempo, con su belleza mítica. Luego me encontré una vez a Ramiro en el aeropuerto de Londres, me presenté, y acabamos cambiando asientos y volando juntos a Bilbao. Me invitó y fui a su casa varias veces en los años siguientes. Yo entonces quería ser escritor. Me decía que escribir era no tener miedo a hacerlo mal.
Todavía creo que vive. Deberá tener 90! Ganó el Nadal en 1960 con Las Ciegas Hormigas.