Valencian literature loses one of its most unique voices with the death of the poet and narrator Josep Piera, passed away this Sunday at the age of 78. The Gandia City Council confirmed the death and expressed its condolences to family, friends, and the entire cultural community, emphasizing that he has left “one of the most prominent voices in contemporary Valencian literature”.
Born in Beniopa, a neighborhood in GandiaBy 1947, Piera was much more than a poet: a narrator, essayist, translator, and tireless cultural promoter, he transformed his life into literary material. His work, deeply linked to the Safor, La Drova and the MediterraneanThis established him as an essential reference point for several generations of readers and writers in the Catalan and Valencian languages.
A farewell that shocks Gandia and the cultural world
The news of the death was reported by the Gandia Town Hall, who deeply regretted the loss and remembered Piera as Favorite Son of the CityThe city council highlighted his contribution to poetry, narrative and essay writing, as well as his commitment to the Valencian language and identity.
The mayor of Gandia, Jose Manuel PrietoThe poet, also, declared himself “deeply saddened and shocked” by the death of the man he considered a friend and mentor. In a public message, he noted that with Piera “We have lost an exceptional writer, our poet from Beniopa, we have lost a good man” and stressed that he leaves behind “an immeasurable legacy of wisdom and good writing.”
From the municipal opposition, the People's Party of Gandia He joined in the mourning with a statement in which he described the author as "one of the most outstanding voices in contemporary Valencian literature" and conveyed his "deepest condolences" to the family and the entire Valencian cultural community.
The Valencian regional government also expressed its sorrow at the loss. President Juanfran Pérez Llorca remembered Piera as “a leading figure in our literature and an essential figure in contemporary poetry and narrative”He emphasized that his work was “deeply linked to our land and culture.” On behalf of the Consell, he sent condolences to his family and friends and to the cultural community.
The writer's family has expressed their wish that the farewell at the funeral home It is celebrated in an intimate setting, reserved for the closest circle, despite the author's enormous public profile.
Tributes in Gandia: book of condolences and civic ceremony
The impact of the death of Josep Piera It has been strongly felt in his city. Mayor Prieto announced an urgent meeting of the board of spokespeople to organize a civic farewell ceremony in the historic Ducal Palace of Gandia.
In that same space, plans are underway to open a book of condolences so that neighbors, cultural figures, and friends can leave a message of tribute to the writer. The event, which all citizens are encouraged to attend, will feature the participation of the collective Saforíssims Literary Society, who has called for experiencing this loss as a shared grief.
The municipal initiative joins other gestures of recognition that Gandia has shown to the author over the years: from his appointment as Favorite Son until the reception of his personal archive and library, which Piera himself and his wife gave to the council a few years ago.
At that moment, when handing over his documentary collection, the writer had very emotional words for his life partner, the educator Marifé Arroyo, whom he defined as “the teacher” and to whom he attributed a large part of what he himself was: “Without her, I wouldn’t be who I am”, he confessed, thus linking his career to the defense of teaching in Valencian.
A life between literature, the Mediterranean and La Drova
Josep Piera grew up in Beniopa and initially trained as Teacher of Teacher Training in ValenciaIn the capital, he came into contact with the group that would later be known as the “Generation of the 70s”, a group of writers who renewed poetry and prose in Valencian during the cultural effervescence of the Transition.
It was part of the collective volume Fresh meat, considered the seed of that generation, and promoted the literary magazine CairellHe also collaborated with cultural publications such as Èczema and Caràcters, and with newspapers such as Avui o Lift-EMVwhere he worked as a columnist for almost three decades. From those platforms, he consistently defended the normalization of the Valencian language and culture.
In the mid-seventies, Piera settled in La Drova (Barx)A valley in the Safor region that would forever mark his literature. He himself used to define this place as his “A unique Greece”: a place of life and creation from which he observed the beauty of the landscape, the rhythm of the seasons and the intimacy of everyday time.
La Drova became not only their residence, but also one of the great symbolic settings of his workThe geography of this corner of La Safor, along with the entire Mediterranean coast, permeated his poetry and narrative, where the sea, the light, and the paths of travel would appear as constant axes.
His house in this valley was also a meeting point for writers and poets From across Catalonia, it was a space for conversation, reading, and debate where literary connections and lasting friendships were forged. Many who visited him remember his deep voice, his playful irony, and his contagious enthusiasm when talking about books, cooking, travel, or cultural policy.
Poet, narrator and essayist of the “literature of the self”
Piera's career began in poetry with pioneering titles such as “Renou: the pluja ascla els estels”, published in 1976, and was consolidated with books such as “El somriure de l'herba”, “The eyes of nature” o “El temps trobat”In them one can appreciate a lyrical voice marked by hedonism, nature and memory, with a very fine attention to sensations and the musicality of language.
His poetic work grew with compilations such as “Dictats d'amors (1971-1991)” and other books in which the The Mediterranean becomes the central axis, such as “En el nom de la mar”, “El jardí llunyà” or “Cants i encants”. Through them, Piera constructed his own imaginary world where landscape and desire intertwine with literary tradition.
However, it was especially in the autobiographical narrative and in diaries where he made one of his most unique contributions. In works such as “The green cingle”, “Greek Summer”, “Seductions of Marràqueix”, “A beautiful baroque corpse” or “To Jerusalem”, the journey through Greece, Italy, Morocco and other Mediterranean territories becomes an exploration of one's own identity.
This type of writing, situated between the narrative, the travel book, and the personal diary, made him one of the leading figures of the so-called “narrative of the self”Personal memory, traveled landscapes, and cultural reflection are interwoven in a single thread, giving rise to a recognizable and highly personal literary universe.
In one of his last interviews, given in October to Lift-EMV From her home in La Drova, Piera confessed that she wouldn't know “to differentiate life from literature”He explained that he had been “writing a book for ten years” which he continued to polish “like little jewels”, thus showing an almost inseparable link between everyday experience and writing.
Biographies, translations and commitment to language
Besides being a poet and storyteller, Josep Piera cultivated with dedication the literary biography and the essayOne of his best-known works in this field is “Jo soc aquest que em dic Ausiàs March”, a personal and innovative approach to the great medieval Valencian poet, a central figure in the Catalan language tradition.
He also dedicated works and studies to key figures such as Saint Francis Borgia o Teodoro Llorentecontributing to updating their interpretation and placing them on the contemporary cultural map. In doing so, he helped to to recover and promote the literary tradition of the Catalan Countries towards new readers.
His interest in other literatures led him to develop an intense career as translatorHis work with Andalusian Arabic poetry stands out, especially that of Ibn Khafajaand their versions of Italian Sandro Penna and of other contemporary poets. These translations strengthened the bridges between Valencian literature and neighboring Mediterranean cultures.
In parallel, he played an active role as editor and cultural agitatorHe directed publications for the publishing house Three and Four, participated in the organization of Year of Tirant lo Blanc and collaborated with entities such as the Associació d'Escriptors en Llengua Catalana or the PEN Club, always with an eye to the defense and dissemination of the Catalan language.
His civic commitment also extended to the educational sphere through his relationship with Marifé ArroyoHis wife since 1972 and a pioneering figure in the introduction of Valencian into public schools. In 1974, still under the dictatorship, Arroyo launched a Valencian-language teaching project at the school in Barx, which was the first public school to teach in the native language during the Transition, until in 1982 she was dismissed as director by decision of the pre-autonomous Consell.
Recognition and awards for an unrepeatable career
Throughout more than half a century of work, Piera received some of the most prestigious awards in Catalan and Valencian literaturewhich solidified his position as a leading author. Among them, the awards stand out. Ausiàs March, Carles Riba, Josep Pla y Alfons the Magnànim, awarded to various books of poetry and prose.
In 1991 he was awarded the Cree de Sant Jordi, one of the highest civil honors in Catalonia, for his contribution to Catalan-language culture. He later also received the Distinction from the Valencian Government in 2021, which highlighted its "indispensable participation, for half a century, in Valencian cultural life."
At the local level, Gandia wanted to reflect the special connection with the writer by naming him Favorite SonA title that Piera himself proudly embraced due to the emotional bond he felt with his hometown. Municipal authorities have emphasized in recent days that His figure has been one of the great cultural emblems of the town.
The most recent recognition came in 2023, when Òmnium Cultural awarded him the 55th Premi d'Honor of Catalan LiteratureThe award recognizes a lifetime of dedication to literature. During the ceremony, the author took the opportunity to once again celebrate his homeland and, in particular, the landscape of La Drova, which he described as his “place in the world”.
This collection of awards and distinctions not only certifies the quality of his work, but also the the pivotal role it played in Valencian and Catalan cultureConnecting tradition and modernity, territory and imagination, personal memory and collective history.
Condolences from Valencia, Catalonia and the national level
The impact of the death of Josep Piera It has crossed the borders of La Safor and generated messages of condolence throughout the Mediterranean region. From Catalonia, the president Salvador Island He remembered the author as "a great writer who enriched our language and defended it with the utmost commitment."
In his honor, Illa shared one of his most famous verses —“Estimar is conèixer. / The miracle is dins nostre. / No cal anar-se'n lluny”— and conveyed his condolences to the family and friends of the writer, emphasizing the Catalan dimension of his literary legacy.
From the central government, the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities and Secretary General of the PSPV, Diana morantMorant, former mayor of Gandia between 2015 and 2021, described Piera as “a leading figure in Valencian poetry” and affirmed that “His voice is now part of our history, of our lives”.
In her message, the minister emphasized the “esteem for the land and the language” that characterized the author and evoked the shared moments in Gandiabefore sending “all his affection” to family and friends. These words join those of numerous representatives from the academic, publishing, and cultural worlds who have wished to express their public appreciation.
The echo of his passing has also been felt among literary associations, publishers, and cultural groups throughout the Valencian Community, who unanimously highlight the Piera's influence on the renewal of Valencian literature of the last fifty years.
A legacy of words, landscapes, and memory
Beyond the awards, positions, and recognitions, those who knew Josep Piera emphasize above all his way of understanding literature as a way of lifeHe liked to talk about poems, novels and essays, but also about the exact point of the rice in the paella or about a new corner discovered on his trips to Morocco, Greece or Italy.
His work has often been described as a celebration of landscape, time and bodyHis writing is sensory, drawing from both Mediterranean classics and everyday experience. This combination of erudition and approachability, of reflection and pleasure, made him a beloved author both within and beyond strictly literary circles.
For many readers, his books have served as a discreet companion throughout lifePiera himself, upon receiving the 2023 Valencia Book Fair Prize, summarized his relationship with the public thus: “I ask nothing in return from readers, only that my poetry accompanies them in life.” A phrase that today sounds like a farewell, but also like a declaration of principles.
With his passing, Valencian literature loses one of its most delicate, personal and free authorsA writer who knew how to transform rootedness and travel into a single form of knowledge. His influence is already evident in new generations of poets and storytellers who have found in his work a model of fidelity to the land without relinquishing an open-minded view of the world.
The legacy of Josep Piera extends from the books he authored to the cultural projects he championed, encompassing the people he encouraged, edited, or mentored on their creative journeys. His voice has been physically silenced, but It remains alive in the memory of those who read it and knew it., and in texts in which the Mediterranean, La Drova, La Safor and the Valencian language will continue to breathe for many years.
