Raúl Xavier García, a proud resident of Granada

„I came late, I started with the age of fifty”, in this way he starts our conversation. We are sitting in the patio of the foundation Casa de los Tres Mundos enjoying the fresh air.

He looks obviously happy, because today (February 13^th) is his big evening. Today- in the week of the International Poetry Festival- he is presenting his third poem collection entitled “El Cielo Puede Esperar”, a book he is going to present, thanks to the support of the foundation “Futuro de Nicaragua” this evening at 7 PM in the Café de los Artistas, in company of his friends who appreciate and admire him.

“It is a collection of unpublished poems, dealing all with the topic of death, abandonment and the differences between the social classes. Furthermore, they are reflecting my experience of life and maturity”, the poet comments.

In the sixties he got to know the postavanguardistic Poet Enrique Fernández Moralez, who became his mentor and with whom he achieved to publish a number of poems. Likewise in the sixties he, the art history expert Jorge Eduardo Arellano and the poet and president of the International Poetry Festival Francisco de Asís, founded the literary movement “Los Bandoleros”.

Due to his determination and dedication he was appointed as director of the city library of Granada. He held the office for 22 years and he learned more than one can imagine.

Why „Poeta Capintero“?

In the past it was usual in families to bequeath the profession; when the father was shoemaker, the children learned the same trade and it was the same in the case of the Poet Raúl Xavier. His father has been a carpenter and all of his brothers, he included, learned the carpentry and pursued it.

But when he celebrated his 50th birthday (now he is 80 years old) he fell in love with the poetry and started to discover the poetry for himself and gave himself the surname “Poeta Carpintera” to express his love, his respect and his admiration.

„I came late and I started with fifty years, I liked the literature and I felt an inner movement while reading and so I said to myself, that I also could write”, he told me with an elated voice.

With the latest one he has already published three books (Poemario- 1962, La Noche en Llamas- 2010 and El Cielo Puede Esperar- 2012) which have been translated to various languages, like for example English, Italian, and Russian. He is known as one of the most important and influential poets in Granada.

Text and Photo: Waleska R. Cisne