Bernardo Atxaga, the pseudonym of Joseba Irazu, is a poet and novelist who was born in the northern Spanish town of Asteasu and is considered the most representative figure in Basque literature.
Over the course of two decades, he has written in a variety of genres but has achieved the greatest recognition for his novels – including the 1985 Critics’ Prize for “Bi anai” (Two Brothers), and the National Literature Prize for “Obabakoak,” published in 1988. Nature plays as important role in his works and his characters tend to be people from the Basque region who are confronted with the harsh social conditions of our time.
