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Félix Romeo

Félix Romeo

Félix Romeo died on October 7th. There were numerous reactions and praise about his excellence as a writer and human being after his early and sudden death at 43 years old.

Charismatic, generous and outstanding; his work radiates strength and energy and also a fatalistic overtone, as it was reflected in “Amarillo” (2008), based on how the suicide of a close friend had an impact on him.

His versatile personality combined different sides as poet, writer, columnist, translator, essayist and TV presenter of the prestigious programme “La mandrágora”. He even participated as an actor, after spending a year in prison due to his refusal to serve military service. He was filmed on his way out of prison in a Fernando Trueba´s short-film which is part of the film "Lumière et compagnie". The director wanted to capture the magic of the birth of cinema through Romeo´s expressive face.

Irony, humour and sadness mix in his other novels as well. "Dibujos animados" (1994) is a fragmentary novel, inspired by Perec. It portrays his childhood in a neighbourhood in Zaragoza.

"Discothèque" (2001) is an ensemble and dark comedy that mixes his experiences in prison and literary and humoristic references: there is place for cinema images, North American literature, the enlightened Miguel de Molinos or the Real Zaragoza football player, Nayim.

Just a little bit before his death, he finished a new book, "Noche de los enamorados" (2012) , a reflection about crime, justice and freedom while he researches the case of a cell mate at Torrero prison.

On the occasion of the book launch, Mondadori Publishing House made an offprint named ¡Viva Félix Romeo! in which authors as Ignacio Martínez de Pisón, Martín Casariego, Antón Castro, Javier Cercas, or David and Jonás Trueba among others, wrote texts where he is remembered as “non-stoppable and super-valuable”, an exceptional conversationalist and a warm fried who “made you always feel special”.

We had the pleasure of having him as a guest in the Semana de las Letras organized by Instituto Cervantes Dublin in 2009. We remember his work this month at our library and also with a round-table on May 29th at 6pm in Café Literario.


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