During the 70s and 80s, José María Cruz Novillo, renewed the iconographic imagery of post-Franco Spain. He did not limit himself to creating logos; he built the visual imagery of a society emerging from the lethargy of the dictatorship and aspiring to be modern. Born in Cuenca in 1936, he died just a few weeks shy of his 90th birthday. In 2020, Filmin released a documentary that pays tribute to him and allowed many generations to discover him: The Man Who Designed Spain, by directors Andrea G. Bermejo and Miguel Larraya

It so happens that, with a few weeks' difference, two of the great architects of the Tusquets publishing house have died. First was the poet and professor Antoni Marí (1944-2026), who besides being an in-house author had directed the Catalan collection, L'Ull de Vidre, and the poetry collection, Nuevos Textos Sagrados, and this Friday it was its founder and literary director for decades, Beatriz de Moura, according to the publishing house, which said goodbye to her remembering her as "a brilliant and unprejudiced woman, cosmopolitan and feisty, a precursor of so many things and the soul of the publishing house".

Salustià Álvarez, president of the Regulatory Council of the Qualified Designation of Origin Priorat, passed away this Wednesday at noon. Born in Porrera in 1960, Álvarez had worked as an oenologist on various projects, currently the personal one, Álvarez Duran, but also at the Vall Llach winery. He was “the trusted man of Enric Costa and Lluís Llach from 2001 to 2013, in the years when one worked in Vic as a notary and the other was giving concerts,” explains Albert Costa, co-owner of the winery with Isa Serra.The news of Álvarez's death has left the region in consternation; his figure was well-known as a neighbor and also for the various institutional positions he has held. He had been mayor of Porrera, in addition to president of the Regulatory Council of the DOQ Priorat. In a statement released by the DOQ Priorat itself, it is explained that “Salus Álvarez has been a key figure and an indispensable benchmark for understanding the evolution and projection of the DOQ Priorat in recent decades.”

The Valencian poet, narrator, essayist, columnist, and translator, Josep Piera (Beniopa, 1947), has died at the age of 78. He considered himself primarily a poet, but he left a handful of memorable prose books, among which are El cingle verd (Destino, 1982) – for which he won the Josep Pla prize–, Estiu grec (Destino, 1985), and Ací s'acaba tot (Edicions 62, 1993), which the young publisher Cap de Brot reissued in a corrected and expanded version. In 2023, he received the 55th Premi d'Honor de les Lletres Catalanes (Honorary Prize for Catalan Literature), awarded by Òmnium Cultural. At that time, he expressed his astonishment at receiving the award and how he understood literature: "I find this writing in the name of everyone to be extraordinarily presumptuous. One writes about what one knows, what one feels, and about oneself. But this must become shareable, symbolic. Otherwise, what the hell can interest others? This is where literature comes in, and I am an animal of words," he stated.

The Valencian poet, narrator, essayist, columnist, and translator, Josep Piera (Beniopa, Gandía, 1947), has passed away at the age of 78. He considered himself primarily a poet, but he left behind a handful of memorable prose books, including El cingle verd (Destino, 1982) – with which he won the Josep Pla award – Estiu grec (Destino, 1985) and Ací s'acaba tot (Edicions 62, 1993), which the young publishing house Cap de Brot reissued in a corrected and expanded version. In 2023, he received the 55th Honorary Award for Catalan Literature, presented by Òmnium Cultural. At that time, he expressed his astonishment at receiving the award and how he understood literature: "This business of writing on behalf of everyone seems extraordinarily presumptuous to me. One writes about what one knows, what one feels, and about oneself. But that must become shareable, symbolic. Otherwise, why on earth would it interest others? This is where literature comes in, and I am an animal of words," he assured.

Without the persistence of the editor Maria Carme Dalmau, we would surely be missing many reference works on the history and heritage of Catalonia today. She worked a great deal, even during the greyness and repression of Francoism, to publicize and make accessible to the public books that explained the country's past, geography, and traditions. And she did so by overcoming very significant legal and economic obstacles. She circumvented censorship by devising a thousand and one stratagems. Born in Barcelona in 1930, the editor died this Thursday at the age of 96.

Dolors Lamarca, a key figure in the modernization of the Catalan library system with the advent of democracy, died this Wednesday in Barcelona at the age of 82 from pneumonia. Born in Granollers in 1943, she had lived in Castellterçol in recent years. Widowed for decades after the death of Antoni Comas (1931-1981), who in the late post-war period was the first professor of Catalan language and literature at the University of Barcelona, ​​they had three daughters: Eulàlia, Núria, and Mercè. In fact, Comas's premature death at the age of 50 came when Lamarca had assumed the directorship of the new Library Service (1980-1983) within the Department of Culture of the Generalitat of Catalonia under the first Pujol government, with Max Cahner as minister, where she laid the foundations for the current library system (1981). However, she did not achieve the integration of the Barcelona Provincial Council's network into a global Catalan network.

We've listened to a lot of songs, but some travel with us our whole lives, stuck in our memory for almost unconscious reasons, more related to the accidents of our lives than to past or present musical tastes.

"Literary genres don't exist. For me, either there is literature or there isn't. We know what painting, architecture, sculpture, and music are—things change after John Cage—but it's not the same with literature. What is literature, and where do we find it? I can recognize it immediately: literature. I find it very evocative: literature. It excites me." Antoni Marí I used these words in 2012 to introduce Book of Absences (Tusquets), a magnificent example of the cultivated, demanding, and dazzling literary endeavor of the author born in Ibiza in 1944, who died in Barcelona at the age of 81. Shortly afterward, he added: "Literature is about fixing and dispelling the darkness."

American actor Nicholas Brendon, who played one of the main characters in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Nicholas Brendon, who starred in the series for seven seasons (from 1997 to 2003), died at the age of 54 from "natural causes," his family announced Saturday in a statement. "It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon. He died of natural causes in his sleep. Many people knew him for his work as an actor and the characters he brought to life. In recent years, he had found his passion in painting and art. (...) It is no secret that Nicholas had struggled in the past, but he was on medication and undergoing treatment for his diagnosis and, at the time of his passing, remained optimistic about the future. Our family asks for privacy during this time of loss and mourning to celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination, and heart."

Chuck Norris, an enduring hero of film and television for more than five decades, died this Friday in Hawaii, where he had been hospitalized the day before. Norris, a martial arts champion and karate instructor, was one of the first actors to shape the archetype of the action hero in modern cinema with films such as Delta Force, Missing in action and The Fury of the Dragonin which he faced off against Bruce Lee. On television, his most popular role was in the series Walker, Texas RangerNorris's family announced his death with a statement: "He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unbreakable commitment to the people he loved. Through his work, discipline, and kindness, he inspired millions of people around the world and left a lasting impact on many lives."

Peruvian writer Alfredo Bryce Echenique, one of the last exponents of the Latin American literary boom, has died at the age of 87, as announced Tuesday by the House of Peruvian Literature and the Vargas Llosa Chair on their social media accounts, and later confirmed by Peruvian writer Jorge Eduardo Benavi. Bryce Echenique wrote novels such as A world for Julius, The exaggerated life of Martín Romaña and Nighttime prisonerwho won the National Narrative Prize in 1998. Four years later he won the Planeta Prize for The garden of my belovedIn 2012, he won the Guadalajara International Book Fair award as a "great chronicler of life" with prose "full of good humor, satirical wit, and a fantastic record of orality."

António Lobo Antunes, the Portuguese writer, has died at the age of eighty-three. I think he was no longer in vogue (I don't know if he ever was), but we have a number of his novels translated into Catalan: The Inquisitors' Manual (Ediciones 62, translation by Xavier Pàmies), The Splendor of Portugal, Exhortation to the Crocodiles and Don't rush into this dark night (Proa Editions, translated by Joan Casas) and I didn't see you in Babylon yesterday (El Gall Editor, also translated by Joan Casas). It is highly recommended reading.

Journalist and political analyst Fernando Ónega died today at the age of 78, according to his family. He was one of the most prominent voices in Spanish journalism and was especially relevant during the Transition. In 1977, he became spokesperson and press director for the government of Adolfo Suárez, for whom he wrote numerous speeches, including the election speech that contained the rhetorical formula I can promise and I do promiseBorn in Galicia in 1947, before becoming press director for Adolfo Suárez, he was deputy director of the newspaper Arriba, the official publication of the Falange Española and the JONS. After his time in the Spanish government, he worked for various media outlets, including Cadena SER, where he was news director, a position he also held later at COPE between 1986 and 1990. Another station with which he was associated was Onda Cero: there he served as general manager on two occasions, the first between 1992 and 1993, and the second between 2000 and 2002. Beyond his radio career, Ónega also had a presence in television. He began at TVE, directing various programs in the late 1970s. Later, he moved to Telecinco and then, in 1997, joined Antena 3, where he presented the evening news until 1999. In recent years he made numerous television appearances, often as a political commentator. Since 2019 he had been president of a digital newspaper dedicated to senior citizens. 65ymás.com. Throughout his professional career he received various awards, including three Ondas awards.

Katherine Short, one of the three daughters of the comic actor Martin Short, died this Monday in Los Angeles in an apparent suicide, as first reported by TMC and later confirmed by Los Angeles Times citing police sources. Representatives of the actor from Only murders in the building confirmed the news through a statement: "With profound sadness we must confirm the death of Katherine Hartley Short. The Short family is devastated by this loss and requests privacy at this time. Katherine was loved by everyone and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into this world." According to USA Today, the Los Angeles police found Katherine Short's body this Monday at 6:43 p.m., Los Angeles time, after responding to a call reporting a suspected gunshot. The newspaper reports that the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner has already determined that suicide was the cause of death. Katherine Short was a social worker and the eldest of the three children adopted by Martin Short and his wife, actress Nancy Dolman, who died of cancer in 2010. She studied psychology and gender studies at New York University and a master's degree in social work at the University of Southern California before working in the private sector. According to People, Short also worked part-time at a clinic offering community services, group support, and psychotherapy, and also with the NGO Bring Change 2 Mind, which strives to "build empathetic communities in schools where conversations about mental health are welcome." Katherine Short's death comes weeks after that of actress Catherine O'Hara, a close friend and regular collaborator of Martin Short, due to a pulmonary embolism caused by the cancer she suffered from. Martin Short is currently on a tour of the United States for the comedy show he shares with his friend and colleague in Only murders in the building, actor Steve Martin. His next performance is, in principle, this Friday in Milwaukee. Short was also scheduled to appear at the Actor Awards gala this Sunday, where he is nominated for his work in Only murders in the building.

Musician Willie Colón, an essential genius of salsa, passed away this Saturday at the age of 75 in a New York hospital, as reported by his family. "With great sadness, we announce the death of our beloved husband and father. He passed away this morning surrounded by family. Although we mourn his absence, we also enjoy the eternal gift of his music," the family statement reads.

It's hard to imagine a more fruitful and coherent artistic career than that of a documentary filmmaker Frederick WisemanThe director of fifty films spanning six decades, he was recognized as the most astute observer of American society, a tireless chronicler of the world, and especially of its institutions. Wiseman, who died Monday at the age of 96, was considered one of the most important non-fiction filmmakers of recent decades and had won an honorary Oscar and the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. In 2016, he was awarded an honorary doctorate. honorary cause by Pompeu Fabra University.

Californian actor Robert Duvall died Sunday at the age of 95 at his home in Middleburg, Virginia. according to US media reports and has been confirmed by his wife, Luciana Duvall. His career, which began with roles in films such as To kill a chanterelle (Robert Mulligan, 1962), has left behind iconic film characters such as the surfing soldier ofApocalypse Now (1979) and the Corleone lawyer in The Godfather (1972 and 1974), films directed by Francis Ford Coppola where he stood out for his versatility. It had nothing to do with the eccentric colonel who made it sound The Charge of the Valkyries before attacking the advisor with the most austere gestures on the mafia's payroll.

It has been more than fifty years since the Dutch writer Cees Nooteboom (1933-2026) found peace and creative inspiration on the island of Menorca. "It's the place where I've written a good part of my books and poems," he acknowledged six years ago, when he received the Formentor Prize for his prolific and highly regarded work, from his home in Amsterdam. At that time, Nooteboom, who had just turned 87, couldn't travel to the neighboring island to collect the award due to health reasons, but he still had the strength to recall the origins of an obsession with writing that materialized in over fifty books that made him one of the most important figures in the field. In his bibliography, there are at least three titles available in Catalan. The following story (2004), Paradise lost (2006) and Detour to Santiago (2010), all three published by Bromera.

James Van Der Beek, the actor who played the lead in the teen series Dawson growsJames David Van Der Beek, 48, passed away this Wednesday from colon cancer, which was diagnosed in the summer of 2023. "Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed away peacefully this morning. He faced his last few days with courage, faith, and grace," his wife, Kim de Berm, announced on Instagram. The couple, who married in 2010, had six children.