Nada has never gone out of print, retaining its place in the nation's literary life. Along with several collections of short stories, a novella and travel books, Laforet published three additional novels into the late 1960s. In 1939 she returned to Barcelona and in 1942 settles in. Laforet’s frank, realist prose reinvigorated the literary arts of a war-torn country while inspiring a new generation of women novelists. Her work 'Nada', written when she was just 22, makes her one of the most representative figures of 20th century Spanish narrative.' Born in Barcelona in 1921, in 1923 she moves with her family to the Canary Islands, where she spent her childhood and adolescence. In addition to celebrating Laforet’s work, the prize included the publication of Nada, which immediately became a national sensation. Laforet’s innovative novel won her the first Nadal Prize, an award for unpublished authors that is today regarded as one of Spanish literature’s most prestigious honors. The story's candid existentialist narration portrayed the era’s harsh realities from a fresh perspective with a simple writing style, contrasting the convoluted prose that characterized many Spanish works at the time. It was in this tumultuous climate that Laforet wrote the manuscript for Nada-the story of an 18-year-old orphan’s struggle in post-war Barcelona. At 18, she returned with her family to Barcelona to study philosophy before moving to Madrid where she found a city scrambling to recover from domestic unrest.

She spent her early years in the Canary Islands-a safe haven from the turmoil of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). Her 1945 novel Nada (Nothing) is still widely considered one of Spain’s most significant contemporary novels. Carmen Laforet Díaz was born on this day in 1921 in Barcelona, Spain. Today’s Doodle celebrates the centennial birthday of Spanish writer Carmen Laforet, best known for her no-frills, realist prose.

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