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Culture in basque today


Basque-language fiction is currently enjoying a bonanza. Never in the history of the Basque language has so much been written, published and read in Basque as at present. The Basque publishing world is also involved in the music market, since music continues to be one of the most successful cultural products in the popularisation of the Basque language, together with film, video, theatre and the media.

470. Kirmen Uribe (Ondarroa, 1970) writes poetry, essays and literature for children and young adults, composes songs for a number of different groups and participates in multimedia shows. He was awarded the National Prize for Literature 2010 for New York-Bilbao- New York. 471. Harkaitz Cano (Lasarte-Oria, 1975). Cano writes poetry, short stories, articles and novels in which jazz and contemporary art play an important role. His book of reports Piano gainean gosaltzen is considered to be the best of his career. 472. Gor diskak is an example of an independent record label. It has operated out of Pamplona since 1991, promoting new names in all styles (punk, ska, heavy metal, pop, rock, dance and modern metal). 473. Performers like Tapia ta Leturia and Kepa Junkera have popularised the trikitrixa accordion beyond the frontiers of the Basque Country. 474. There is a very active Basque-language theatre scene in the Northern Basque Country, associated with figures such as Antton Luku. The Pastorale, one of the traditional theatrical genres of Soule, is currently enjoying great success, attracting thousands of spectators. It continues to be a collective popular spectacle, but the original texts have undergone a poetic revival begun by Etxahun Iruri (Iruri 1908-1979) and continued by Jules Casenave (Santa Grazi 1924). 475. Zinemira, organised since 2009, is the section of the San Sebastian International Film Festival dedicated to Basque cinema. 476. Basque literature offers a rich source of screenplays for film productions: Ehun metro, by Saizarbitoria, was turned into a film by Alfonso Ungria in 1985; Hamaseigarren, aidanez, written and directed by Anjel Lertxundi in 1985; Obabakoak by Bernardo Atxaga, filmed by Montxo Armendáriz (2004) and Kutsidazu bidea, Ixabel, by Joxean Sagastibeltza and directed by Fernando Bernués in 2005. 477. Unai Elorriaga (Bilbao, 1973), published his first novel in 2001, SP-rako tranbia, which won the National Fiction Prize. His novels, Van't Hoffen ilea, Vredaman and Londres kartoizkoa da) have been translated into numerous languages. 478. The Juan Zelaia Saria competition is one of several held each year for essays in Basque. Kepa Altonaga, a biologist at the University of the Basque Country, won the 2010 prize for his work Darwin geurean. 479. Scientific works are largely published by Gaiak and Elhuyar. 480. Elkar, founded in 1975, is the country's leading publisher, of literature and text books. It also has its own record label. Since 1990, it has been part of the Elkar Foundation, together with the publishers Sua, Ttartalo and Txertoa, Oihuka, the record label, distributor and chain of bookshops. The foundation organises a number of literary and research grants, and its profits are reinvested in Basque culture. 481. Leading contemporary names in the world of the Basque novel include Ramón Saizarbitoria (Gorde nazazu lurpean and Kandinskyren tradizioa), Joseba Sarrionandia with Gau ilunekoak and Bernardo Atxaga, with Soinujolearen and Zazpi etxe Frantzian. 482. Berri Txarrak (Lekunberri, 1994) is a rock group with hardcore influences who perform poems by their singer and guitarist, Gorka Urbizu. 483. In 2009 around thirty publishers brought out around 2,342 publications in Basque, with average print runs of around two thousand. Since 1974, when 100 books were published, the Basque publishing scene has seen exponential growth in all fields: new works, translations and re-editions. In recent years, text books and literature for children and young adults have accounted for over 50% of the total. There is also an important number of digital books, with 211 released in Basque in 2009. 484. Emerging new writers include Uxue Alberdi, Eider Rodriguez, Itziar Rozas and Katixa Agirre (pictured here). 485. Patxi Zubizarreta (Ordizia, 1964) primarily writes literature for children and young adults. He has also written fiction for adults. (Pospolo kaxa bat bezala), and translates classics and participates in poetry recitals with Basque musicians. 486. Oreka TX have popularised their updated version of the traditional sound of the txalaparta around the world. 487. The group Galtzagorri Elkartea (Donostia-San Sebastian, 1990) study and disseminate literature for children and young adults, encouraging younger generations to read. The group includes illustrators, writers, story-tellers, librarians, bookshop owners and translators, and it holds meetings and events, as well as bringing out a specialist magazine, Behinola. 488. A large number of short stories are published in Basque and enjoy considerable popularity, with influences from cinema, music and current affairs. The current realities of Basque life, conflictive and fragmented, are depicted in short stories by authors such as Iban Zaldua (Bibliografia) and Jokin Muñoz (Bizia lo). 489. Ruper Ordorika (Oñati, 1956), is one of the great renovators of Basque songs. He began his career in the literary group Pott and from 1980, has set to music his own lyrics, traditional texts and avant-garde poems in an original style that lies somewhere between folk, rock and independent song. 490. Mariasun Landa (Errenteria, 1949) has published 27 books and together with Atxaga, is the most-translated author in Basque-language literature. Specialising in literature for children and young adults, her work includes Elefante txori-bihotza and Krokodiloa ohe azpian. The latter was included by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) in its honours list.
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