Basque Literature: Kirmen Uribe : Bilbao -New York- Bilbao, Iñaki Uriarte: New York- Bilbao- New York

book launch

New York is part of the personal geography of these two authors, who carry their Basque heritage in their surnames as they create a universal art. Uribe spent long periods in Manhattan when he was making one of his first projects, Bar Puerto, and in 2009 he received the 2009 National Narrative Award for a novel entitled precisely Bilbao-New York- Bilbao. This 40-year-old writes in Basque and received his first literary award during a stint in prison for refusing to serve in the military. Uriarte, however, “had never put pen to paper” and has published his first book at the age of 64. He has surprised authors like Enrique Vila-Matas, the first to fall for his Diarios de Bilbao. He was born in New York, was raised in San Sebastián, lives in Bilbao and vacations in Benidorm, according to Vila-Matas himself.