Delfín Prats Pupo

Poet, narrator and translator. He is considered a notable writer. National Literature Prize in 2022.

He was born in La Cuaba, Holguín. He studied Philology and Russian Languages at Lomonosov State University in Moscow, in the former Soviet Union. For many years he worked as a Russian translator.

In 1968 his poetry collection Lenguaje de mudos won the David Prize from the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC). However, the work was censored and the book was turned into pulp.

Prats returned to publishing in Cuba in 1987 when Para festejar el ascenso de Ícaro appeared, which won the National Criticism Prize.

Other poetry collections of his include: El esplendor y el caos and Aguas. His work is characterized by a style that stands out for its refinement and sensuality, he uses metaphor in a singular way, and handles facts, mythological characters and universal legends from a new perspective.

He was awarded the National Literature Prize in 2022, considered the most important award in Cuban letters. Literary critics both within and outside Cuba consider his work to occupy a supreme place in Cuban and Caribbean literature.
Works

Among his main publications are:

Lenguaje de mudos (Ediciones Unión, 1969; Ediciones El Puente, 1970; Ediciones Cuadernos Papiro, 2011; Betania, 2013)
Para festejar el ascenso de Ícaro (Editorial Letras Cubanas, 1987)
Cinco envíos a arboleda (Ediciones Holguín, 1991)
Abrirse las constelaciones (Ediciones Unión, 1994)
Lírica amatoria (Ediciones Holguín, 1994)
El esplendor y el caos (Ediciones Holguín 2002)
Striptease y eclipse de las almas. (Ed. La Luz, 2006)
Exilio transitorio (Ed. Mantis Editores, 2009)
Obra poética (Hypermedia, 2013).
El huracán y la palma. Antología de la poesía cubana (Ediciones Holguín, 2017)

Anthologies and Poetry Collections

La isla entera (Madrid, 1995).
La isla poética (Bilingual Edition, La Habana, 1998).
Panorama de la poesía cubana. Siglo XX (La Habana, 1999).

Awards and Recognition

David Prize from the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC). Lenguaje de mudos.
National Criticism Prize. Para festejar el ascenso de Ícaro.
Aldabón de La Periquera.
Distinction for National Culture.
Master of Youth Prize, 2009; the highest award given by the Hermanos Saíz Association (AHS) to personalities who serve as examples for young generations.
National Literature Prize 2022, considered the most important literary award in Cuban letters.

He works at the literary promotion company Pedro Ortiz and is frequently found at book presentations and poetry readings in his hometown.

Although not backed by an extensive and prolific bibliography, literary critics both within and outside Cuba consider his work to occupy a supreme place in literature.

His work has been published by publishing houses, magazines and anthologies from various countries. Likewise, it has been translated into Italian, French, English and German.