Literary stages sponsored by the Ateneo de Sevilla in addition to the Generation of 27

The volume which has just been published and which includes a prologue of Rogelio Reyes Cano —who was Vallecillo’s professor at the University of Seville and who directed his doctoral thesis on Manuel Halcon– is nothing more than reflection of research that this literature professor carried out for 25 years. In fact, there was a first edition of “Literatura y Ateneo de Sevilla” that lasted until 2003. In this second, the author reviewed numerous data, in addition to providing corrections and new literary facets that this institution has developed in recent years, such as the creation last year of the Ateneo de Sevilla “Generation of 27” Poetry Prize and its young modality.

Vallecillo comments that when he completed the first edition of this book in 2003, the Ateneo president at the time, Enrique Barreroand Rogelio Reyes “are the ones who introduced me as a member of this institution. I was already a little involved there until 2014 when I ran for president of the Literature section with Alberto Máximo Pérez Calero. I have already been in office for three terms and I will now run for a fourth,” he adds.

The book, divided into eight chapters, still remains a faithful reflection of the literary effervescence experienced by the Seville capital in the last years of the 19th century and especially from the first decades of the 20th centurywhich led to the organization in the city of the famous founding event of Generation 27. In this context, the role of the Ateneo as an agitator of Sevillian cultural life was decisive, since this institution organized conferences, meetings, readings, the famous Floral Games and also awarded awards.

Just consult the section dedicated to literary readings carried out during the 138 years of history of the Ateneo to realize the important list of writers who have made known their collections of poems or fragments of their literary works. In this regard, it is worth mentioning the presence of writers of the stature of Salvador Rueda, Francisco Villaespesathe brothers Alvarez Quintero -who had a very diligent presence-, Hadrian del Valle, José María Peman, Rafael Alberti, Joaquin Romero Murube, Gerard Diego, Rafael Montesinos, Manuel Ferrand, Antonio Gala, Victor Jiménez either Lutgardo Garciaamong many others.

Tributes constitute another very important aspect of the activity that the Athénée has developed throughout its existence. In fact, shortly after the playwright’s death in 1893 Jose Zorrillathis learned house paid him the honors. They also received many tributes Seraph And Joaquin Alvarez Quintero. On January 23, 1928, just one month after the founding act of Generation 27, the Athenian institution honored the memory of Gustavo Adolfo Becquer discovering a tombstone bearing his name linked to the memory of the legend ‘The sale of cats’ of the said place. The president of the Literature section at the time, José María Romero Martinezread three nursery rhymes by the poet. Romero appears in the famous Generation 27 photo because he is one of the main people responsible for these literary evenings.

Another major winner was Benito Pérez Galdosin whose honor a theatrical performance was organized on March 2, 1917 and which included the presence of the writer himself in Seville. The Álvarez Quintero brothers have produced a theatrical adaptation of the novel “Marianela”which premiered in February of the same year with great success at the Teatro Cervantes in the capital of Seville. Galdós attended the fourth performance. The prestigious actress Margarita Xirgu He played the main role.

Juan Ramón Jiménez and the Ateneo de Seville

If there is a poet particularly linked to the history of the Ateneo, it is none other than Juan Ramon Jimenez. The author of “Platero y yo” arrived in Seville in 1896 and lived a fundamental period in this city until 1899. According to Vallecillo, “Juan Ramón came to Seville with the intention of becoming a painter. From there, he came into contact with the Atenists. He went to the library every day and read all the romantic poetryincluding that of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer. Thanks to the friends he had at the Ateneo, the doors were opened for him to send his manuscripts to the Sevillian newspapers and magazines of the time. It was truly at the Ateneo that he found his vocation, since he entered as a painter and left as a poet.. “The Ateneo channeled his literary career.” In 1912, a poetic evening was dedicated to him, which Moguereño did not attend. Another eminent Athenaist, Jose Maria Izquierdospoke in his classic book ‘Divagando por la ciudad de lagracia’ of this homage “initiated as an intimate entertainment, of spiritual friendship, as a pilgrimage of love” which was paid to him by the Sevillian poets. On December 16, 1956, the Sevillian institution also organized a cultural excursion to Moguer following the award of the Nobel Prize for Literature to this universal atenist.

Izquierdo precisely, who was an honorary member of the Ateneo since 1917 and a great promoter of the Parade of the Three Kingsfirst released on January 5, 1918, died in 1922 at only 35 years old. The entire board of directors of the institution, which closed the doors of the building that evening as a sign of mourning, attended the writer’s funeral, as well as illustrious members such as Bacarisas, Raw, Laffonetc. In 1923, the Ateneo decided to place a tombstone in memory of Izquierdo in its library. It is for this reason that an obituary evening was organized, in the presence of a large audience.

Another chapter of the book focuses on literary festivals, particularly highlighting for its relevance the Ultra-Festival celebrated on May 2, 1919, which was the first dedicated in Spain to this new lyrical movement (we must not forget that that same year Jorge Luis Borges and his sister Norah would come to Seville attracted by the ultraist scene). Rafael Cansinos-Assens He sent several poems to this party sponsored by the Ateneo and notable poets such as Pedro Garfias. They were also Miguel Romero Martinezbrother of José María Romero Martínez, Isaac del Vando-Villar, Pedro Raida And Juan Gonzalez de Olmedilla. On March 2, 1920, an Ultra evening was organized which was not without controversy since, among other things, Garfias insulted the moon by leaving the Ateneo then the young poets went to Luis Montotowho represented the most academic aspect, and wrote crude sentences on the facade. “The Ateneo did not sponsor another ultraist party after what happened at the last one,” says Vallecillo.

The founding act of Generation 27

In the section dedicated to commemorations, of course, the one that the Ateneo dedicated to the celebration of the third centenary of the death of Góngora, which would ultimately be the founding act of Generation 27 and the most important event that this institution has hosted throughout its history. “We anticipated the centenary celebration on the 27th because Since 2022 at the Ateneo we have been organizing many events», Comments the author of this book. And even if traditionally it was the figure of Ignacio Sánchez Mejías who takes credit for having organized the literary evenings of December 16 and 17, 1927, José Vallecillo specifies that “Rogelio Reyes discovered in the account book of the Ateneo that it was this institution that paid for the transfer, the stay and the banquet of the young poets.. The Ateneo also financed the fitting out of the room of the Economic Society of Friends of the Country so that the events could take place. We have all this information on display to the public at the entrance to the Athenaeum. The president of the Literature section of this house adds that it is in fact in the drafts of José María Romero Martínez that there is talk for the first time of a possible homage to Góngora. “In 1928, José María Romero resigned from his position as president of the literature section of the Ateneo due to the enormous expenses linked to the events of the 27th. The coffers remained in the red, since there were only about 900 pesetas,” Vallecillo clarifies.

As a curiosity, the cover of this book reproduces one of the three existing versions of the famous photo of the young poets of 27. More precisely, this is the snapshot that he took Eduardo Rodríguez Cabezas ‘Dubois’ and which appeared published on the cover of La Unión on December 18, 1927. The second known version was the one published Juan Jose Serrano for El Noticiero Sevillano. The third is attributed to Pepin Bello and he appeared in El Liberal. There are small differences between the three photos, mainly because they were taken from different angles. Thus, in Dubois’ image, we can see, for example, the two legs of Federico Garcia Lorcasomething that doesn’t happen in the other two images.

The book also devotes a chapter to the Floral Games, which were very important in the period from 1888 to 1917. Likewise, it is essential to link the Ateneo to prizes as remarkable as the Ateneo de Novela, won by writers of the stature of Torcuato Luca de Tena, Mercedes Salisachs, Antonio Burgos, Juan Eslava Galan, Luis del Val, Espido Freire, Felix Palmaetc. Last year the first Seville Poetry Prize “Generation of the 27” took place, won by Jose Antonio Ramirez Lozano in the senior category and Víctor Ruiz Polanco in the Youth category. The second edition will be missed this Monday.