Josep Pedreira i Fernández (Barcelona, 1917-2003) was born in a galician family established in the Sants neighbourhood in Barcelona. He studied trade and literature, and fought for the Republican Forces during the Spanish Civil War. In post-war years, he joined the Catalan National Front, worked with editor Josep Janés and in 1949 he created the collection “Els Llibres de l’Óssa Menor”, dedicated to Catalan poetry and in which renowned authors such as Salvador Espriu, Miquel Martí i Pol, Joan Oliver, Carles Riba or Joan Vinyolí were published. Pedreira was the director of this collection until 1966, when it became part of the catalogue of the publishing company Edicions Proa.
The prize Premi Óssa Menor was created in 1950 as a complement to the collection. The prize changed its name to Premi Carles Riba in 1959, the same year in which Pedreira created the collection “Les Quatre Estacions”, dedicated to poetry and essays. Works by Gabriel Ferrater, Marià Manent, Josep Palau i Fabre or Francesc Parcerisas were published within this collection. From 1981 until 1983, Pedreira was librarian at the Ateneu Barcelonès. In 1985 he was awarded the prestigious prize Creu de Sant Jordi de la Generalitat de Catalunya for his commitment to promote Catalan poetry in post-war years. He was later awarded the prize Premi Jaume I d’Actuació Cívica Catalana. In 1985, he published a compilation of poems named El llibre dels verns and in 2003 he published the book Soldats catalans a la Roja i Negra (1936-1939) with memoirs about his experience at war.
LEGACY
Regarding his personal documents, the most remarkable ones are manuscripts and typed documents of his own works: narrative compilations (unpublished Música per a Bela Bartók), poetry (a part from the book El llibre dels verns, published in 1985), diaries and memoirs (a part from Soldats catalans a la Roja i Negra (1936-1939), published in 2003). All these documents have been preserved in their various progress stages, some of them are drafts while others are almost finished. Worth mentioning are two almost completed books with personal memoirs: Els set colors de l’arc and Llibre dels invents.
Mireia Sopena pubished this volume after consulting the collection:
Mireia Sopena
Josep Pedreira, un editor en terra de naufragis
Els Llibres de l’Óssa Menor, 1949-1963
Premi Carles Rahola d’assaig 2011
Editorial Proa
Collection «La Mirada», 87, 2011
ISBN: 978-84-7588-274-1
336 p., 21,50 x 13,20 cm