Manel Ollé

Manel Ollé (Barcelona, 1962) is a lecturer in History and Culture of Contemporary China in the Department of Humanities at the Pompeu Fabra University of Barcelona (UPF), and coordinator of the Master’s Degree in Chinese Studies, also at the UPF. He has published the poetry collection Bratislava o Bucaret (Bratislava or Bucharest, Edicions 62, 2014), which was awarded the Gabriel Ferrater Prize. He has translated Tao. Fragments del camí del vell savi xinès (Tao. Fragments of the Old Chinese Sage’s Pathway, Fragmenta, 2017), an essay by Gao Xingjian titled El sentit de la literatura (The Sense of Literature, Empúries, 2004) and, together with Chün-Chün Chin, Pu Songling’s short story collection Contes estranys del pavelló dels lleures (Strange Tales from the Leisure Pavilion, Quaderns Crema, 2001).

He has anthologised, translated and prefaced the compilation Pedra i pinzell: antologia de la poesia clàssica xinesa (Stone and Brush: An Anthology of Chinese Classical Poetry, Alpha, 2012). He has also published several books about China’s recent history, such as La Empresa de China: de la Armada Invencible al Galeón de Manila (The Chinese Endeavour: From the Invincible Armada to the Manila Galleon, Acantilado, 2002), Made in China: el despertar social, político y cultural de la China contemporánea (Made in China: The Social, Political and Cultural Awakening of Contemporary China, Destino 2005) or Islas de plata, imperios de seda (Islands of Silver, Empires of Silk Acantilado, 2022). In 2021, he was awarded the Poetry Prize of the Jocs Florals de Barcelona with the piece Un grapat de pedres d’aigua (A Handful of Water Stones; LaBreu Edicions).