Pablo Barrio Ramirez

Agurain, 1958.

Agurain-Salvatierra (Araba), 1958.

He was born on the Alaizamadura farm, one of the few farms on the plain of Araba. At the age of five he left the farm and went with his parents to live in Lasarte (Gipuzkoa): "that is one of the longest journeys I have ever made," he says.

Although he obtained a degree in Business Studies, he soon realised that he did not have the right kind of personality to enter the business world; he has worked as a teacher.

At university he studied the most basic principles of economics; after completing his studies he learnt Basque as well.

He has been a keen reader ever since he was a child; he has always been tempted to write, "in a vague way and without producing anything," he says, "after reaching the age of forty, I said to myself: it is now or never. And I got down to it."

His play Ama, hor al zaude? earned him the Toribio Altzaga award in 2003. Since then he has been enjoying writing plays.