Germán Piniella, journalist and cultural critic, passes away

January 10, 2021

The Union of Journalists of Cuba regrets the death, on January 9th, of journalist, narrator, literary translator and music critic Germán Piniella. Among other Cuban periodicals, Piniella collaborated with the magazine Casa de las Américas, La Gaceta de Cuba, Bohemia, El Caimán Barbudo and La Jiribilla. Likewise, he served as associate editor of the bilingual magazine Progreso Semanal.

Among his works are the short story collection Otra vez al camino (Editorial Pluma en Ristre, 1971), finalist for the David Prize in 1969; Comiendo con Doña Lita (Arte y Literatura, 2010), a text created with his wife, psychologist Amelia Rodríguez, in which he explores culinary culture, and the crime novel Un toque de melancolía (Ediciones Unión, 2013). Likewise, collaborating with Raúl Rivero, he was the creator of Punto de partida (Pluma en Ristre, 1970), an anthology of young narrators and poets from the Island.

A graduate in Journalism from the University of La Habana, Piniella also earned a Master's degree in Marketing and Business Management from the Higher School of Marketing Studies in Madrid and a Master's degree in Marketing and Communication from the University of La Habana. For his impact in the field of advertising, the Cuban Association of Social Communicators awarded him the Espacio Prize for his lifetime achievement.

Upon learning of his death, Rafael Grillo, head of information for the cultural magazine El Caimán Barbudo, wrote on his personal profile on the social network Facebook: "Friend, Germán Piniella Sardiñas, more than goodbye a see you always. Knowing you, embracing your affection, even if in a friendship of short duration, but very sincere, is unforgettable. Your passion, the enthusiasm to create, the way of facing destiny without renouncing the enjoyment of life is a lesson you leave me.

"And to your dear Amelia Rodríguez, an adorable woman, with you and with everyone, I send my encouragement and affection. May that novel you were working on and from which I was able to read something, see the light, so that your light continues. With 'a touch of melancholy' we bid you farewell, Juliette Massip and I...".