Pérez de Ayala, Ramón (1881-1962)

Spanish diplomat and writer. He wrote autobiographical novels including Tinieblas en las cumbres/Darkness on the Heights 1907, A.M.D.G. 1910, La pata de la raposa/The Fox's Paw 1912, and Troteras y danzaderas/Mummers and Dancers 1913. In 1921 he published a very popular and humorous novel called Belarmino y Apolonio/Belarmino and Apolonio about two cobblers, one with an artistic, and the other with a philosophic, ideal. Other works are the volume of poems La paz del sendero/The Peace of the Path 1904 and its sequel volume El sendero innumerable/The Innumerable Path 1916, the collection of short stories El ombligo del mundo/The World's Navel 1925, and the novels Tigre Juan/Tiger Juan 1926 and El curandero de su honra/The Healer of his Honour 1926.

Born at Oviedo, Asturias, he was essentially an intellectual, his writings characterized by subtle observation, a sceptical humour, and a sincere interest in human problems. He was ambassador to Great Britain 1931-36.