Sebastià Juan Arbó ([səβəstiˈa ʒuˈan ərˈβo]) (1902–1984) was a Catalan novelist and playwright. He wrote in Catalan and Spanish. He was born in San Carlos de la Rapita on October 28, 1902 and died in Barcelona on January 2, 1984. His work includes novels, drama, biographies and translations. He was an honorary member of the Association of Writers in the Catalan Language. In 1948 he won the Premio Nadal (the Nadal Prize).
Note that "Arbó" is not his surname. "Juan" is his first surname. See Spanish naming customs#Forms of address.
Born into a peasant family, at age eight Arbó moved with his parents to Amposta, and at twelve and worked in an office. In 1927 he went to Barcelona, where he began his writing career as a journalist for La Vanguardia and ABC, as well as on various editorials.
In 1931 Arbó published his first novel, L'futile combat (Useless battle).
In 1932 he published Terres de l'Ebre, his best known work, a novel that describes the situation of the peasants of the Ebro delta, forgotten and humble, working in a hard and thankless land, subject to the fatalities. The novel transforms their personal and community experiences into fiction. In 1933 he published Notes d'un estudiant que va morir boig and in 1935 Boig Camins de nit.
After the Civil War he stopped publishing until, in 1947, he released Tino Costa, with versions in Catalan and Spanish. In 1946 he had, however, published, a biography: Cervantes.
From 1948 he wrote works in Spanish such as Sobre las piedras grises (1948) which won the Nadal Prize for novel, and especially Martin Masks (1959). In his later years he returned to publishing in Catalan: Narracions d'Delta (1965), L'espera (1948) and La Masia (1975).
Arbó died on January 2, 1984 of a heart attack.
L'inútil combat. Badalona: Proa, 1931 (Barcelona: Proa, 1969). - The futile battleNotes d'un estudiant que va morir boig, 1933. (Work was rewritten with the title Hores en blanc. It was published in Spanish with the title The black hour in 1955). - Notes of a student who died insaneCamins de nit. Badalona: Proa, 1935 (Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1987). - Roads at nightHores en blanc. Barcelona: Llibreria Catalònia, 1935 (Barcelona: Laia, 1983; Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1991). - Hours in whiteLa ciutat maleïda. Barcelona: Llibreria Catalònia, 1935. - Lands of the EbroTerres de l'Ebre. Barcelona: Llibreria Catalònia, 1936 (Barcelona: Selecta, 1955; Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1980). (Work translated into Italian, French, German and Dutch)Tino Costa. Barcelona: Àncora, 1947.Sobre las piedras grises. Barcelona: Destino, 1949; Barcelona: Destino, 1973 (5ª ed). - On Gray StonesVerdaguer: el poeta, el sacerdot i el món. Barcelona: Aedos, 1952. - Verdaguer: poet, priest and the worldMartín de Caretas. 1955-1959 - Martin of CaretasLos hombres de la tierra y el mar. Barcelona: Llibreria Editorial Argos, 1961. (1965 ??) - Men of the land and seaL'hora negra seguit de Divertiments: la nit de Sant Joan. Barcelona: Selecta, 1961. - The time followed by black entertainments: the night of San JuanNarracions del Delta. Barcelona: Selecta, 1965 - Stories of the DeltaObra catalana completa, I. Novel.les de l'Ebre. Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1966. - Complete Catalan Works 1 Novels of the EbroL'espera. Barcelona: Club Editor, 1968 (1965?) - The waitingObras selectas. Barcelona: AHR, 1973 - Select worksLa Masia. Barcelona: Selecta, 1975 (Barcelona: Orbis, 1984) - The FarmhouseLa tempestad. Espluguas de Llobregat: Plaza & Janés, 1978. - The TempestEl segundo del Apocalipsis. Espluguas de Llobregat: Plaza & Janés, 1981 - The second of the ApocalypseMemorias: los hombres de la ciudad. Barcelona: Editorial Planeta, 1982. - Memories: Men of the cityObra catalana completa (edited by Emili Rosales). Barcelona: Columna, 1992-1993 (3 volums). - Catalan complete workViatge a l'Ebre. Barcelona: Columna-Tresmall, 1997. - Journey to the EbroLa ciutat maleïda. Barcelona: Llibreria Catalònia, 1935 - The damn cityDespertar. 1936 - AwakeningNausica. Barcelona: La Rosa dels Vents, 1937.La vida trágica de Mosèn Jacinto Verdaguer. 1951 Barcelona: Planeta/Aedos, 1970 - The tragic life of Mosen Jacinto VerdaguerPío Baroja y su tiempo. Barcelona: Planeta, 1969. - Pio Baroja and his timeCervantes (hombre y época). Barcelona: 1948; Barcelona: Planeta, 1971. - Cervantes (Man and era)Fastenrath, Floral Games of Barcelona 1934. For the work Terres de l'Ebre.Novelistas Award, Municipality of Barcelona, 1936. For the work Camins de nit.Nadal Prize, 1948. For the work Sobre las piedras grises.
