|  Francisco Umbral passed away shortly after 1am this morning at the Montepríncipe Clinic in Boadilla del Monte, aged 72. Described as "brilliant and incisive," Umbral is considered to be one of the most relevant Spanish authors of the second half of the 20th century, and the recipient of many awards, including the Prince of Asturias Literature Prize (1996) and the Cervantes Prize (2000).
His health began to decline in August 2003, when he was admitted to hospital with pneumonia just one month after surgery to remove part of his colon.
In accordance with his own instructions, Umbral will be cremated tomorrow - either at La Almudena cemetery or at La Paz Hospital - following a non-religious ceremony.
Born on the 11th May 1935 in Madrid, Umbral grew up and spent most of his formative years in Valladolid. During an illustrious career as author and columnist, Umbral published more than eighty books, some of the best known of which are: 'Las ninfas' (1975), 'Mortal y rosa' (1975), 'La noche que llegué al Café Gijón' (1977), 'Trilogía de Madrid' (1984), 'Madrid 1940: Memorias de un joven fascista' (1993) and 'El socialista sentimental' (1999).
His most recent work includes: 'Madrid, tribu urbana' (2000); 'Un ser de lejanías' (2001); '¿Y cómo eran las ligas de Madame Bovary?' (2003); 'Los metales nocturnos' (2003); and 'Días felices en Argüelles' (2005). |
