Urretabizkaia, Arantxa

b. 1947, San Sebastián

   Writer

   At once straightforward and lyrical, the work of Urretabizkaia includes prize-winning works in Basque, such as her novel Zergatik Panpox? (Why Panpox?) (1979) and her collection of poetry Maitasunaren Magalean (1981). In an effort to create accessible literature for a Basque public, she strives for clarity and her work is characterized by an elegant simplicity. Most of her protagonists are female, as she explores such topics as single motherhood, friendship between women, the life of a nun, and memories evoked in old age. Her apprenticeship as a writer was in journalism, and she continues her activities in this field. For her work published in the 1990s she has changed her name from Urretavizcaya to accord with Basque orthography.

   KATHLEEN McNERNEY