Juan Antonio spent his childhood years in the shadow of olive trees and wheat fields amongst the beauty of nature but during a tough post Civil War period. |
Writer and journalist, Juan Antonio Pérez Mateos, was born after the Spanish Civil War in Spain, spending time during his childhood between two villages named Palomero and Villanueva de la Sierra, in the western region of Extremadura, Spain. His parents were born in Extremadura: the Toscana of Spain with a captivating landscape made of centenary olive trees. The son of a doctor and a teacher, he spent his childhood years in the shadow of olive trees and wheat fields amongst the beauty of nature but during a tough post Civil War period. |
"The Hurdes, the noise of stones"...The Figure of the King Juan Carlos always fascinated him.
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He then published his first book which took him to his roots and his love for Extremadura. The title of the book refers to a region known as las Hurdes. "The Hurdes, the noise of stones", was welcomed by both critics and readers. Luis Maria Anson described him as "a heir of the 98 generation" and a famous journalist in Spain, Iker Jimenez, has valued it among the ten books that have marked his life. This book was followed by stories from post-Spanish Civil War such as “Ente el Azar y la Muerte” ("Between chance and death") published by Editorial Planeta, cult collection "Mirror of Spain," directed by Rafael Borras. Inspired by history and the forging of Spanish history, Juan Antonio Perez Mateos became fascinated by the figure of King Juan Carlos. He began writing four books, published by Editorial Planeta, in his collection of worship, "Mirror of Spain," directed by Rafael Borras. “Juan Carlos la Infancia Desconocida de un Rey” ("Juan Carlos, the unknown King child") in this prestigious collection, followed by “El Rey que Vino del Exilio” ("The King who came from exile") in which the reader discovers the real life passages hitherto unknown. Especially valuable also is the work “Un Rey bajo el Sol” ("A King in the Sun"), published by Plaza & Janés, which the Head of the Royal House (Sabino Fernández Campos) rates as unbeatable. Another work in this line is “La Infancia Real” ("The Royal Infancy”). In parallel, he discovered in theatre another platform to communicate and engage with the audience. He won the "Tirso de Molina" prize, together with the play’s director Manuel Canseco, for the play “Proceso a Besteiro” (“The Trial of Besteiro”) which premiered at the Pavón theatre in Madrid. This was followed by a piece focused on writer and philosopher Miguel de Unamuno, released in Salamanca at The Liceo Theatre. His experience at ABC would lead him to take advantage of its centenary to recount the story of this mythic title in the Spanish press which formed part of Spain’s history in the 20th century. “ABC: Historia Intima de un Diario” (“ABC: Intimate History of a Diary") is a love letter to the old style journalism and, in 700 pages, offered a portrait of an era in Spain’s history. And going back to one of his passions and subject of many articles for ABC, Mr Perez Mateos published a unique essay and reflection into the art of bullfighting peppered with imagery and philosophy into the national fiesta: “El Toreo: una Visión Inedita” ("Bullfighting, an unusual vioew”). There have also been travel and autobiographical books into the town of Cáceres in Extremadura, both a guide to the city under the País Aguilar collection and the autobiography “Caceres: Piedra y Fuego” ("Caceres, stone and fire"). Sensitive to the world art and, in conjunction with the management of the art gallery “Blanca Tejedor”, he has also published a number of art related books focusing on a number of well known Spanish painters such as José Morán - translated into English -, Manolo de Gracia and the famous potter, Rafael Ortega. At present, Mr Pérez Mateos writes in various online newspapers, publishing weekly articles on a variety of subjects about a time gone by…. Away from writing, his passion continues to be Extremadura and the solace afforded by the old family olive oil mill built by his grandfather now beautifully restored. |