Humberto Ak'abal

Humberto Ak'abal (2010)

Humberto Ak'abal , also Akabal (born October 31, 1952 in Momostenago , Totonicapán , Guatemala ; † January 28, 2019 in Guatemala City ), was a Guatemalan poet , poet and writer . He belonged to the Maya K'iche ' people . Ak'abal was one of the most important writers in Indigenous America today .

Live and act

Ak'abal was born in Momostenago in 1952 and worked as a shepherd , weaver , traveling salesman and laborer .

He wrote his poems in Quiché . He then also translated his works into Spanish . His works have been published in the United States , Austria , France , Germany , Portugal , Italy , Denmark and Switzerland and have also appeared in magazines in Latin America and Europe. One of his books was supported by the United Nations .

In 2006 he received a Guggenheim grant from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.

Awards

• 1995: Diploma Emeritissimum from the Faculty of Humanities at the University of San Carlos
• 1997: Blaise Cendrars Prize
• 1998: Premio Continental Canto de América
• 2003: Guatemalan State Prize for Literature (rejected in 2004)

Works (selection)

• Hojas del arbol pajarero. Editorial Praxis, Mexico City 1995, ISBN 968-6509-78-X .
• Lluvia de luna en la cipresalada. Librerías Artemis-Edinter, Guatemala 1996, ISBN 84-89452-80-6 .
• Desnuda como la primera vez. Editorial Praxis, Mexico City 1998, ISBN 968-7646-87-X .
• Corazón de toro. Artemis Edinter, Guatemala 2002, ISBN 84-89766-94-0 .

Translations

• Uxaq che 'xuquje ik' - Hojas y luna - leaves and moon. First edition in three languages ​​(Maya Quiché / Spanish / German). From Maya Quiché into Spanish by Humberto Ak'abal. With a poetological sketch by Haroldo de Campos. Selected and translated from Spanish into German by Juana and Tobias Burghardt. Title drawing by Juana Burghardt. Edition 350 published by the Cooperative Dürnau (Oberschwaben), Dürnau 1998. ISBN 3-88861-110-5 .
• Stone drum. Poems. Edited and translated from Guatemalan Spanish by Erich Hackl. Unionsverlag, Zurich 1998, ISBN 3-293-00247-1 .
• with Rigoberta Menchú, Humberto Akabal, Eduardo Hughes Galeano, Dante Liano, Werner Horch (translator): Rigoberta Menchú: granddaughter of the Maya; Autobiography. Lamuv-Verlag, Göttingen 1999, ISBN 3-88977-555-1 .
• The weeping of the jaguar. 77 poems and a report. Edited and translated from Guatemalan Spanish by Erich Hackl. Edition Thanhäuser, Ottensheim 2005, ISBN 3-900986-60-6 .
• Ghost dance. Poems. Selected and translated by Erich Hackl. Verlag im Waldgut, Frauenfeld 2014, ISBN 978-3-03740-247-4 .

Web links

• official homepage
• Author's page at Edition 350 published by the Cooperative Dürnau (introduction, poems and press reviews)
• Review notes on Humberto Ak'abal at perlentaucher.de
• Literature by and about Humberto Ak'abal in the catalog of the German National Library
• Literature by and about Humberto Ak'abal in the WorldCat bibliographic database

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Humberto Ak'abal: hymnes, lamentos et tambours de pierre. In: L'Express. Retrieved January 29, 2019 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b c} Humberto Ak abal - Words Without Borders. In: wordswithoutborders.org. Retrieved July 9, 2015 . 
3. ^ Waldgut Publisher: Ak'abal. In: waldgut.ch. Retrieved July 9, 2015 . 
4. ↑ ^{a b c} Union Publishing House - Humberto Ak'abal. In: unionsverlag.com. Retrieved July 9, 2015 . 
5. ^ Humberto Ak'abal in Pearl Divers. In: perlentaucher.de. Retrieved July 9, 2015 . 
6. ↑ Signs of Life 2010 - Humberto Ak'abal: The language of nature brought to life. In: Society for Threatened Peoples - The Blog. Retrieved August 19, 2018 . 
7. ↑ Nico Bleutge: Mayan poems by Humberto Ak'abal: A dagger made of fire. In: nzz.ch. Neue Zürcher Zeitung, accessed on July 9, 2015 . 
8. ^ Humberto Ak'abal (poet) - Poetry International. In: poetryinternationalweb.net. Retrieved July 9, 2015 . 
9. ^ John Simon Guggenheim Foundation - Humberto Ak'abal. In: gf.org. Retrieved February 13, 2016 .