Camilo Jos� Cela was born on May 11, 1916 in Iria Flavia, Spain. He attended the University of Madrid before and after the Spanish Civil War, during which he served with Franco's army. His first novel, La Familia de Pascual Duarte (The Family of Pascual Duarte), was published in 1942. He primarily wrote novels, short narratives, and travel diaries. His works include Journey to the Alcarria, The Hive, and Mrs. Caldwell Speaks to Her Son. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1989. He died on January 17, 2002.