Julia Calzadilla Núñez

Poet, narrator, translator (English, French, Portuguese and Italian), specialized in literary and documentary translation, simultaneous interpreter of said languages into Spanish and Spanish into Portuguese, Egyptologist, researcher and professor. Graduate of Bilingual Commerce (English and Spanish), Edison Institute, Havana, 1961.

Licentiate in Art History, Faculty of Arts and Letters, University of Havana, 1975. Egyptologist, member of the International Association of Egyptologists (IAE, Great Britain). Pyramidologist (member of the Scientific Team "Osiris", Alicante, Spain).

Member of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) since 1979 (Association of Writers: Section of Literary Translation and Section of Literature for Children and Young People). Member of the Cuban Association of Translators and Interpreters (A.C.T.I.).

She has worked as a documentary and literary translator, as well as in simultaneous interpretation into Spanish from English, French, Italian and Portuguese at numerous national and international events.

1967-1973 Translator and interpreter of Portuguese, French, English and Italian in the Dept. of Guides and Conferences of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with Peoples (ICAP).
1973-1987 Team of Translator and Interpreter Services (ESTI), of which she is a founder.
1987-1994 Reviewer and Editor of Portuguese, Italian and English at the "José Martí" Publishing House of Publications in Foreign Languages, Havana.
1980 and 1990 Postgraduate courses on Brazilian Studies. House of the Americas, Havana.

Works
Los Poemas Cantarines, Ediciones Unión, Ciudad de La Habana, 1975. Illustrated by Manuel Bu.
Cantares de la América Latina y el Caribe. CASA Award Collection, Ciudad de La Habana, 1982. Illustrated by Ricardo Reymena. Children's Poetry.
El Escarabajo Miguel y las Hormigas Locas. Co-author. Author: Mary Nieves Díaz Méndez. Ediciones Unión, Ciudad de La Habana, 1988. Illustrated by Eduardo Muñoz Bachs.
Los Chichiricú del Charco de la Jícara. CASA Award Collection, Ciudad de La Habana, 1988. Illustrated by Roberto Fabelo. Children's narrative.
Os Chichiricos do Charco da Xícara. "Cantos Vizinhos" Collection. Translated into Portuguese by Ana María Machado. Editora Klaxon, Sao Paulo, Brasil, 1986. Illustrated by Walter Ono, Milton Yamanaka and Vivian Braga.
Los Alegres Cantares de Piquiturquino
Los Pequeños Poemas de Abuelo Cantarín. Editorial Gente Nueva, Ciudad de La Habana, 1989. Illustrated by Rosa Salgado Hurtado.
Las increíbles andanzas de Chirri. Editorial Gente Nueva, Ciudad de La Habana, 1989. Illustrated by Rosa Salgado Hurtado.
Los Chichiricú del Charco de la Jícara. Ediciones Colihue, Libros del Malabarista, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1993.
¡Por si las moscas!, Editora Unión, UNEAC, Ciudad de La Habana, 1998. Illustrated by Miriam González Jiménez.
Casuarino y el Libro encantado de los Chacaneques. Youth novelette with Latin American theme, published by Editorial Susaeta, Medellín, Colombia, 1999.
El extraño caso de las perlas que estaban y no estaban. Detective story for children. Editorial Capitán San Luis, Ciudad de La Habana, 1999.
El Egipto de los Faraones. Youth level. Editorial Gente Nueva, Ciudad de La Habana, 1999. Intended for the Public Libraries network of the Ministry of Culture.
Lo que el Micro se llevó. Humorous stories for adults about the author's experiences as a simultaneous interpreter. Published by the Team of Translator and Interpreter Services, Ciudad de La Habana, 1979.
Mini-books Series, from Edit. Capitán San Luis, has published: "El monstruo del patio", "El extraño caso de las piedras cuadradas", "El caso de las piedras ovaladas", "El caso cortísimo de las perlas que estaban y no estaban", between 1999 and 2001.
Pomponio Pipino, published by Edit. Unión, UNEAC, in co-edition with Dominican Republic, 2001.
Other Mini-books from the detective series published by Edit. Capitán San Luis.
Trío Hermanas Lago, Editorial Letras Cubanas, Ciudad de La Habana, 2002.
¿Ruidos Extraños?, Editorial Gente Nueva, Ciudad de La Habana, 2004.
"Aladina y la Linterna Maravillosa" In: Carrusel de Cuentos, Edit. Cap. San Luis, Ciudad de La Habana, 2005.
Aladina y la Linterna Maravillosa, mini-book, Collection Edit. Cap. San Luis, Ciudad de La Habana, 2005.
Casuarino y el libro encantado de los Chacaneques, Edit. Gente Nueva, Ciudad Habana, 2006.
Nuevos cantares de la América Latina y el Caribe. Edit. Gente Nueva, La Habana, 2007.
La Gran Rueda. A decoding reading of Spirituality in the Mysteries of Ancient Egypt, Edit. PapyrusPrint, Romania, 2009.
"A mal tiempo, buena cara", youth story published in the anthology Carrusel de Cuentos, 2009, Edit. Cap. San Luis, La Habana, 2009.
Las piedras llegaron a las nubes. (Youth novelette, Inca theme). Editorial Gente Nueva, La Habana, 2010.

Awards and Recognition
1996 Distinction "For Cuban National Culture".
1999 "Juan Ortega Gatell" Prize, awarded by the Team of Translator and Interpreter Services (ESTI) to the Best Professional of the Year.
2002 Medal "XV Anniversary of the Arab Union of Cuba" for prolonged and profound work in promoting the culture of Ancient Egypt.
2002 Distinction "Gitana Tropical", awarded by the Provincial Bureau of Culture of Ciudad de La Habana.
2014 "Astrid Lindgren" Prize in the branch of children's and youth literature, awarded by the International Federation of Translators (FIT).

Literary Awards
1974 First Prize in Poetry. X Anniversary Contest of the Committee of Solidarity with Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Poetry collection Indochina: Poema verdadero (Unpublished).
1974 UNEAC "Ismaelillo" Prize. Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba. Poetry for children. Los poemas cantarines. Published in 1975 by Ediciones Unión, Ciudad de La Habana.
1976 Continental "House of the Americas" Prize. Literature for children and young people. Poetry. Cantares de la América Latina y el Caribe. Published in 1982, CASA Award Collection, Ciudad de La Habana.
1982 Prize from the Bratislava International Fair for Cantares de la América Latina y el Caribe (book as a whole: illustrations and text).
1983 Second Prize. Contest for Musical Performances (Scripts) convened by the Ministry of Culture. Una visita de Marte (in collaboration with Mary Nieves Díaz Méndez and Antonio Orlando Rodríguez). Unpublished.
1983 UNEAC "Ismaelillo" Prize. Children's theater. Co-author. Author: Mary Nieves Díaz Méndez. El Escarabajo Miguel y las Hormigas Locas. Published in 1988 by Ediciones Unión, Ciudad de La Habana.
1984 "House of the Americas" Prize. Literature for children and young people. Narrative. Los Chichiricú del Charco de la Jícara. Published in 1988, CASA Award Collection, Ciudad de La Habana.
1988 "La Rosa Blanca" Prize (UNEAC). Los Chichiricú del Charco de la Jícara. La Habana.
1989 "Abril" Prize (Editora Abril). Best Children's Work. Los Chichiricú del Charco de la Jícara. La Habana.
1989 "Abril" Prize (Writing Prize). Los Chichiricú del Charco de la Jícara. La Habana.
1991 "La Rosa Blanca" Prize (UNEAC). Las Increíbles Andanzas de Chirri. (Detective stories for children). La Habana.
1993 "Misael Valentino" Prize (House of the Work of Charity of the Museum of the City), Cantares de la América Latina y el Caribe. La Habana.
1999 "La Rosa Blanca" Prize (UNEAC). ¡Por si las Moscas!. La Habana.
2000 "Romance la Niña Mala" Prize, awarded for the first time to a group of creators within the framework of the Meeting of Critics on Children's Literature, Sancti Spiritus, Cuba.
2001 Special "La Rosa Blanca" Prize, awarded for the body of work and contributions to National Culture. Children's Literature Hall, UNEAC, April 23 (Book Day). Also received by Nersys Felipe, Ivette Vian and Enid Vian.
2004 Magisterial "La Rosa Blanca" Prize, awarded by the Section of Literature for Children and Young People of the Association of Writers of UNEAC within the framework of the XIII Book Fair of Havana.

Other Distinctions and Recognition
1974 Mention. Children's Poetry. "La Edad de Oro" Contest. Los Pequeños Poemas de Abuelo Cantarín. Preschool level. Published by Editorial Gente Nueva, Institute of the Book, Ciudad de La Habana, 1988.
1977 Mention. UNEAC Contest ("Ismaelillo"). Children's poetry. Los Alegres Cantares de Piquiturquino. Published by Editorial Gente Nueva, Institute of the Book, Ciudad de La Habana, 1988.
1981 First Mention. UNEAC Contest ("Ismaelillo"). Los Chichiricú del Charco de la Jícara.
1982 Cantares de la América Latina y el Caribe. Selected among the "Most Beautiful Books 1977-1982". Exhibition "El Libro Cubano", Ciudad de La Habana.
1982 Cantares de la América Latina y el Caribe. Mention. International Exhibition of the Art of the Book, Leipzig, Germany. (Illustrations: Ricardo Reymena).
1982 Cantares de la América Latina y el Caribe. Selected among the "10 Best Books for Children of 1982" published in Latin America. Contest of the Book Bank, Caracas, Venezuela.
1982 Delegate to the III Congress of UNEAC. Elected President of the Section of Children's and Youth Literature and Member of the Section of Literary Translation.
1983 Mention. Children's Literature Genre. Contest for Musical Performances (Scripts) convened by the Ministry of Culture. Allá en el Charco de la Jícara. In collaboration with Mary Nieves Díaz Méndez.
1983 Mention. "La Edad de Oro" Contest. Preschool level. Cantares de Tía Jutía.
1983 Member of the cultural delegation that toured the province of Holguín, Cuba. (Ministry of Culture).
1983 Commentator. Cuban Literature Forum.
1986 Cantares de la América Latina y el Caribe. Selected among "The Three Best Books published in Cuba (1986). International Youth Library, Munich, Germany.
1987 Finalist for the Critics' Prize, Ciudad de La Habana.
1984 to the present. Member of the Cuban Committee of IBBY (International Board of Books for Young People) and its president from 1990 to 1994. For health reasons, she became Vice President of that Committee until 1995 and is currently a member of its Committee of Honor.
1989 Medal "August 23" awarded by the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) to a group of Cuban women creators.

Tribute to Julia Calzadilla.
1989 Tribute from Editorial "Gente Nueva", Institute of the Book. ("The Author and Her Work").
1989 Diploma "Centennial of La Edad de Oro". Ministry of Culture. Awarded for work done in the cultural sphere for children and adolescents.
1991 Reading of works. "Alejo Carpentier" Cultural Center, Ciudad de La Habana.
1993 Finalist for the FUNCEC-UNICEF Children's Story Prize. (Anthology published by UNICEF).
Member of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) since 1978. Section of Children's and Youth Literature and Section of Literary Translation.
She was a member of the Advisory Boards of the magazines Zunzún and Bijirita, and of the Publishing Houses "Gente Nueva", "Abril" and "Arte y Literatura". In 2001 she rejoins the Technical Advisory Board of Editorial "Gente Nueva".
1992 Invited to the V Seminar on Children's Literature, Medellín, Colombia.
1993 Invited to the XIII International Fair of Children's and Youth Books. Mexico City.
1994 Candidate for Jury of the Andersen Prize 1996 (IBBY), proposed by the Group of National Selections IBBY of Latin America gathered in Villa de Leyva, Colombia.
1997 Invited as speaker to the XXIV National Book Fair '97, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
1998 Mention in the "Cecilia Valdés" Story Contest (for adults) with the narration "Polvo de café". In: Clemencia bajo el sol, Editorial José Martí / Caribbean Association of Cuba.
1998 Invited to participate in the activities program of the Conference on Children's Literature sponsored by the University of San Francisco, California, USA.
1998 Invited as speaker to the Conference of Caribbean Women Writers held at Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY), N.Y., USA.
1998 Member of the Executive of the Association of Writers of UNEAC, which she later resigned from for work reasons.
1998 Member of ACTI (Cuban Association of Translators and Interpreters).
2000 Short-term internship at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF), CA, where she collaborated with the Education Dept. of the Museum De Young and with the Legion of Honor Museum.
2001 Mention in the International "Nicolás Guillén" Poetry Contest, held in Quintana Roo, Mexico, with the poetry collection Si las pompas no inundasen las aguas con jabón iracundo.
2002 Internship at FAMSF, CA, as a bilingual Egyptologist, collaborator in the exhibition "Eternal Egypt", presented by the British Museum at the Legion of Honor Museum of SF.
2003 Tribute from the "Paloma" project, directed by Lizette Vila to a group of women prominent in art and science.
2003 Tribute from the "Paloma" project on reaching 60 years of life (August 1).
2004, 2005, 2006 Collaborator of the international team of simultaneous interpreters and volunteer translators "Babels": Social Forum of the Americas (Quito), Social Forum of the Americas and World Social Forum (Porto Alegre, Brazil), Social Forum of the Americas and World Social Forum (Caracas, Venezuela), respectively.
2007 Tribute in the space "The Author and Her Work", held in the Hall of Mirrors of the Cuban Institute of the Book, La Habana, Cuba, with a panel made up of representative figures from the various fields in which the author has worked (Literature, Egyptology, Translation and Interpretation, Research of Ancient Cultures).
2007 Invited as speaker to the Book Fair held in Belém do Pará, Brazil. There she presents in Portuguese her book Casuarino y el libro Encantado de los Chacaneques.
2008 Participation as special guest in the TV program "Cubanos en Primer Plano", broadcast on March 10. La Habana.
2008 Selected to represent Cuba on the Scientific Committee of the World Congress of Specialized Translation (CMTE) held in La Habana in December of that year, where she also participates as a speaker.
2008 Instructor in the Simultaneous Interpretation Workshop organized in Quito by ATIEC (Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ecuador). Languages: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish.
2009-April 2012 Professor at the Faculty of International Studies, Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo (UEES), Guayaquil, Ecuador. (Teaching in subjects of translation, interpretation, linguistics, art, literature, religion, philosophy). She possesses a Letter of recognition from the Dean with an Excellent rating in both the teaching and administrative aspects (dated October 1, 2012).