Adelaida Las Santas: Difference between revisions

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In 1955 she married the writer [[Guillermo Osorio]] (1918–1982),<ref name=”:0″ /> who, according to Mery Varona, was:

<blockquote>””Guillermo was a [[Bohemianism|bohemian]] and “cursed” writer. He had taken part in the war in a tank unit of the Republican army. Later, he went through [[Internment camps in France|French prisoner camps]] and through Spanish prisons and [[Francoist concentration camps|concentration camps]]. In 1950 he settled in Madrid, where he drifted from [[tavern]] to literary gathering, writing short stories and [[Sonnet|sonnets]], a member of the so-called “[[Ethanol|ethylic]] generation” of Café Varela, where his friends—Manuel Alcántara, Eduardo Alonso, Alejandro Carriedo, Manuel Martínez Remis—met. That’s how Adelaida found him, took charge of him, sheltered him, and tried to put some order in his life, as much as Guillermo allowed, which was not much.””<ref name=”:1″>{{cite web|url=http://www.meryvarona.es/adelaida-las-santas-la-poeta-practica/|title=Adelaida Las Santas, la poeta práctica|access-date=28 August 2019|date=30 April 2019|website=Nombres de mujer|language=es}}</ref></blockquote>

Las Santas was responsible for publishing her husband’s work, not only during his lifetime but also after his death, releasing two [[Poem|posthumous poetry collections]].<ref name=”:1″ />

Spanish journalist

Adelaida Las Santas Loureiro (Villarejo de Salvanés, 22 July 1918 – Madrid, 15 November 2006) was a journalist and poet, co-founder of the literary gathering Versos con faldas.^[1]^[2]

Career

She was born in Villarejo de Salvanés (Madrid), but moved to the capital of Spain at a very young age. In August 1936 she was living there, as she helped her friend, the Falangist Luis Carmona, who had escaped from the Modelo prison.^[3]^[4]

On 4 September, militiamen from the FAI showed up at her home to arrest her for helping him, but Las Santas refused to cooperate. Despite her denial, Carmona was arrested and disappeared.^[5]

In 1950 she earned a degree in Journalism and began writing for various newspapers in Madrid. At the same time, she wrote poetry which she presented at several literary gatherings that were common at the time. In April 1950 she participated in the tribute to Emilio Carrere. In 1951 she created the literary circle ‘‘Versos con faldas’’ together with Gloria Fuertes and María Dolores de Pablos, acting as secretary. She took part in numerous recitals, either alone or accompanied by some of her colleagues from the group.^[6]

In 1955 she married the writer Guillermo Osorio (1918–1982),^[6] who, according to Mery Varona, was:

“Guillermo was a bohemian and “cursed” writer. He had taken part in the war in a tank unit of the Republican army. Later, he went through French prisoner camps and through Spanish prisons and concentration camps. In 1950 he settled in Madrid, where he drifted from tavern to literary gathering, writing short stories and sonnets, a member of the so-called “ethylic generation” of Café Varela, where his friends—Manuel Alcántara, Eduardo Alonso, Alejandro Carriedo, Manuel Martínez Remis—met. That’s how Adelaida found him, took charge of him, sheltered him, and tried to put some order in his life, as much as Guillermo allowed, which was not much.“^[7]

Las Santas was responsible for publishing her husband’s work, not only during his lifetime but also after his death, releasing two posthumous poetry collections.^[7]

Throughout her life she remained closely linked to literature: in April 1957 and May 1960 she participated in two recitals at the Centro Asturiano with some of her ‘‘Versos con faldas’’ colleagues. In 1957 she took part in the sixth Saturday of Galerías Cascorro, along with Gloria Clavo, María Paz Viloria and Acacia Uceta. The following year, she also took part in the twentieth Saturday of the same literary circle, held in March.^[6] She gave lectures and directed a sonnet series at the Ateneo.^[7]

In 1959 she directed ‘‘Aguacantos,’’ a poetic gathering she described as an “oral newspaper.”^[8]

Adelaida Las Santas died in Madrid on 15 November 2006.^[9]

Versos con faldas

In the poetry circle she founded with Gloria Fuertes and María Dolores de Pablos, Las Santas served as secretary, but in practice she acted as director, since Gloria Fuertes—the nominal director—fully trusted her: “I value your drive, your energy and will. I’ll help by giving you the completed programs so you can notify the people.” She was the one who financed the programs and effectively managed the gathering. The group came to an end in 1953 when the General Directorate of Security banned poetry readings and café gatherings.^[7]

In 1983 she published the first anthology of ‘‘Versos con faldas.’’ Years later, in 2019, based on Las Santas’ previous work, the publishing house Torremozas released another anthology that included introductory studies, biographies of the members, period photographs, and more.^[6]

Works

Poetry

Destellos. Madrid, self-published, 1950.
Poemas de Adelaida. Madrid, Rumbos, 1954.
Versos con faldas: (A brief history of a literary gathering founded by women in 1951). Madrid, Aguacantos, 1983.
Y hace cincuenta años hubo una guerra: romance para que lo cante un ciego. Aguacantos, 1984.
Poemas de la sinceridad. Madrid, self-published, 1997.

Children’s literature

Poema de la perra gorda que se convirtió en perra chica y otros poemas para las niñas y niños de Cuenca. Aguacantos, 1997.

Prose

Poetas de café. Madrid, Cultura Clásica y Moderna, 1959.

References

^ “Versos con faldas”. Instituto Cervantes (in Spanish). 27 March 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2025. En 1951 Gloria Fuertes, Adelaida Las Santas y María Dolores de Pablos fundaron la tertulia femenina «Versos con Faldas».
^ “Versos con faldas”. Ediciones Torremozas (in Spanish). 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2025. En 1951, las poetas Gloria Fuertes, Adelaida Las Santas y María Dolores de Pablos fundaron en Madrid la tertulia femenina «Versos con Faldas».
^ “Las Santas, Adelaida”. Ediciones Olcades (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 October 2025. Poco después de su nacimiento, la familia fijó la residencia en Madrid y allí, en agosto de 1936… había ayudado a su amigo, el falangista Luis Carmona, fugado de la Cárcel Modelo; el 4 de septiembre se presentaron en su domicilio milicianos de la FAI…
^ Garcerá, Fran; Porpetta, Marta (2019). Versos con faldas. Historia de una tertulia literaria fundada por mujeres en el año 1951. Madrid: Ediciones Torremozas. pp. 177–183. ISBN 978-84-7839-781-5.
^ Gijón, Juan (6 August 2014). “REPRESALIADOS EN ZONA REPUBLICANA, la mayoría entre julio y diciembre de 1936. Sureste de Madrid”. Balas al sureste de Madrid. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Garcerá, Fran; Porpetta, Marta (2019). Versos con faldas. Historia de una tertulia literaria fundada por mujeres en el año 1951. Torremozas. pp. 177–183. ISBN 978-84-7839-781-5.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d “Adelaida Las Santas, la poeta práctica”. Nombres de mujer (in Spanish). 30 April 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
^ “Adelaida Las Santas, directora de un periódico oral” (PDF). Ofensiva. 9 January 1959. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
^ ““Las Santas, Adelaida”“. Ediciones Olcades (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 October 2025. “Villarejo de Salvanés, Madrid, 22-07-1918 / Madrid, 15-11-2006”