María de la O Lejárraga and her Argentine Exile

Abstract

María de la O Lejárraga (1874–1974) was one of the most influential Spanish writers of the 20th century. A teacher, novelist, playwright, essayist, and translator, most of her works were published under the name of her husband, Gregorio Martínez Sierra (1881–1947), whose surname she eventually adopted as her literary pseudonym. Together, they played a central role in the development of Spanish Modernism, not only through their original writings, but also by founding literary magazines and publishing houses. They also collaborated with leading composers of the time. In addition to her literary output, Lejárraga was an active translator, a committed feminist involved in various women's associations, and a member of parliament during the Second Spanish Republic. She later became a prominent voice among the exiled writers following the Spanish Civil War, particularly in Buenos Aires, where she lived from 1951 until her death. This article offers a concise account of her life and work in Spain, emphasizing her multifaceted engagement with literature, feminism, and politics, and focuses especially on her Argentine exile, which began when she was already in her late seventies. It examines her efforts to reinvent herself as a writer and to make a living through journalism, radio, and translation, as she was unable to stage her plays in Buenos Aires theaters. The article concludes with a brief exploration of her connection to the province of Mendoza, where she spent the summers of 1953 and 1954 and continued working on little-known projects until the final years of her life.