Ricardo Bellveser Icardo (27 November 1948 – 29 December 2021) was a Spanish writer, poet, novelist, essayist, literary critic, and journalist.
Early Life
Bellveser was born in Valencia, Spain, the second of four children. His parents were Margarita Icardo Rico, a homemaker, and Antonio Bellveser Sarrió, a radio journalist and bullfighting critic. His father volunteered in the Blue Division during World War II and returned with a serious lung condition, which led to the family separating temporarily. As a result, Bellveser spent much of his childhood in Atzeneta d'Albaida, Valencia, a town that later became the setting for many of his literary works.
Education
He studied at the Official School of Journalism in Madrid, where he wrote a thesis on the magazine Clima and earned the highest designation. He continued at the Complutense University of Madrid in the Department of Information Sciences, and later completed his university education at the University of Valencia in the Department of Spanish Philology. His degree thesis, titled "La Comedia Bribona del 'pare' Mulet (1624-1675)" (Francesc Mulet's Mischievous Comedy), also earned the highest academic designation.
Career
Bellveser worked as a journalist for over two decades. He served as a correspondent for Europa Press and Agence France-Presse, and as editor-in-chief of the newspaper Las Provincias. He also directed various magazines and taught literary criticism at universities in the Valencia region. He regularly contributed to Spanish and Latin American media outlets, notably El Mundo and Página Siete. He frequently traveled to international university conferences to give talks.
Literary Work
He authored more than thirty books spanning poetry, novels, and essays. He received several awards, including the National Eduardo Dato Prize, the National Prize for the Promotion of Reading (FELE), the High Distinction of the Generalitat Valenciana (collective), the Golden Pen of the Ateneo Blasco Ibáñez, and the Prize of the Ateneo de Valencia, among others.
Academy Membership
On 7 June 2006, Bellveser was elected as an academician by the Corts Valencianes to the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua (AVL), the official institution regulating the Valencian language. He took office on 30 June 2006.
Death
Ricardo Bellveser died in Valencia on 29 December 2021 at the age of 73, following a battle with cancer.
