| 1965 |
January
26th: he leads the provincial command of Volodia Teitelboim’s
senatorial candidacy.
He takes part in several electoral events for the next legislative
elections.
March: he travels to Europe with Matilde Urrutia.
March 27th: María Antonieta Hagenaar dies in Gravenhagem
Den Haag.
He arrives in Paris and in April travels to Moscow to take part
in the annual reunions of the Lenin Peace Price.
May: he travels to Hungary with Miguel Angel Asturias. Both
write the book Comiendo en Hungría.
May 17th: he travels to East Berlin and takes part in the International
Writers Congress in Berlin and Weimar.
May: trips to Moscow and London. In the latter city, he gives
lectures.
Oxford University grants him the grade of Doctor Honoris Causa
in Philosophy and Letters.
June: he takes part in the First Poets World Reunion in the
context of the famous “Two worlds festival”.
June through December: permanence in Europe and trips to Yugoslavia
(PEN Club meeting), Finland (Peace Congress in Helsinky), Moscow,
Hungary, Hamburg (“Alturas de Machu Picchu” presentation).
While in Paris, he gives lectures on his poetry at the Sorbonne.
|
| 1966 |
He
extends his Isla Negra house.
March 18th: The External Affairs Czech-Slovakian
Society’s Merit Medal is offered to him in the Czech-Slovakian
ambassador’s house in Santiago.
June: he travels to the US with Matilde Urrutia.
He offers recitals in New Yorok, Berkeley and Washington, also
taking part in PEN Club meetings, besides doing a record for
the Congress Library.
Uruguayan critic Emir Rodríguez Monegal’s essay
Neruda: el viajero inmóvil is published in Buenos Aires.
June/ July: he spends a short season in Mexico,
where he offers poetry recitals and registers part of his work
for the Universidad Autónoma de México’s
record series “Voz viva de América”
July 4th through 6th: he offers recitals in
Lima and Arequipa, Peru. He attends a private lunch with Peruvian
president Fernando Belaúnde Terry and receives the Sol
del Perú decoration.
He returns to Santiago.
July 31st: Cuban writers and intellectuals
publish “Open leter to Pablo Neruda”, in which they
accuse of him of “having allowed being used by the united
Stats of America. He responds: “… in the US and
elsewhere I’ve been heard and respected for what I am
and will ever be: a poet who does not hide his thinking and
who has devoted his life and work to our people’s liberation”.
August 17th: the Universidad de Concepción
gives him the Atenea Prize.
September 7th: the Valparaiso City Council decides to give him
the title of Honorary Citizen.
He stars a series of radios shows with memories and readings
of his poetry.
October 28th: he marries Matilde Urrutia in
a simple, private lay ceremony in the Isla Negra House, with
only a few very close friends attending.
November 1st: the Art Friends Society publishes
in Santiago his Arte de pájaros with illustrations by
Nemesio Antúnez, Héctor Herrera, Mario Carreño
and MarioToral.
Una casa en la arena, with text by the poet and photographs
by Sergio Larraín is published in Barcelona by Lumen.
December second: the BBC of London airs a radio
show about the English translation of “Alturas de Machu
Picchu”.
|
| 1967 |
| Mid
january: he ends a new series of extensions in his
Isla Negra house and opens his library.
February: he spends a season in Rupanco lake.
There, he writes the poems “El lago” and “Pucatrihue”,
published in a booklet titled Canciones cerca de Osorno and
later included in his book La Barcarola.
For the University of California, he records on tape a poem
in honour of Rubén Darío in the 100th anniversary
of the Nicaraguan poet’s birth.
End of March: he reads four radio chronicles
of “Testimonios poéticos sobre Chile” and
“Viajes al corazón del pueblo”.
March 31st: like every year, he travels in
May to Europe to attend the meetings of the Lenin Prize jury
in Moscow. He also is declared guest of the Fourth Soviet
Writers Congress.
He collaborates in a film documentary on Spain by Roman Karmen.
He travels to Budapest and France where Alturas de Machu Picchu
is presented in Paris. The book, in an edition of 66 copies,
has illustrations by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
In mid July, he takes part in the poets and writers reunion
“International Poetry”.
He receives the International Literary Prize of Viaréggio-Versilia
in Italy. This is the first version of the award, devoted
to world personalities working for the culture and understanding
among people.
First edition of Fulgor y muerte de Joaquín Murieta,
bandido chileno injusticiado en California el 23 de julio
de 1853. Zigzag publishers, Santiago de Chile.
October 14th: debut of Fulgor y muerte de
Joaquín Murieta by Universidad de Chile’s Drama
Institute, under Pedro Orthous’ direction and music
by Sergio Ortega.
Second version of the biography by Margarita Aguirre, titled
Las vidas de Pablo Neruda.
November 25th: he receives in Parral the
medal of that city’s Illustrious Son. December: Release
of La Barcarola, Losada publishers, Buenos Aires.
Hernán Loyola’s Ser y morir en Pablo Neruda,
a new and important contribution to nerudian studies, is released.
Third, update, two volumes edition of Obras Completas, Losada
publishers, Buenos Aires. Thanks to Hernán Loyola’s
efforts, this edition includes a complete bibliography of
all Neruda’s works.
|
| 1968 |
January:
he is invested as member of the Arts and Letters North American
Academy.
April 8th: In Chile, he receives the “Joliot
Curie Medal” from the World Peace Congress.
August 17th: he is inducted as “Correspondent
member” of the Rubén Darío International
Academy in Buenos Aires.
Release of Las manos del día, Losada publishers, Buenos
Aires.
End of August: he travels to Brazil, where
he attends the disclosure of a monument to Federico García
Lorca in Sao Paulo and visits other cities in that country.
October: he travels to Colombia to participate
in the First Latin-American Festival of College Drama in the
city of Manizales.
He refuses to accept the San Carlos Order’s Great Cross
from Colombian president Carlos Lleras Restrepo.
He offers poetry recitals at the National University of Colombia
and the Colombian Language Academy.
October 15th: in the Bogotá campus of
the Inca University, he receives the grade of Doctor Honoris
Causa from the Karl Mark University in Leipzig, GDR.
He travels to Venezuela, where he encounters manifestations
against him by the extreme left and is forced to cancel several
activities.
November: he returns to Chile.
|
| 1969 |
February:
he takes part in the Communist Party legislative election campaign.
April 4th through 10th: season in Rupanco lake.
April 14th: he is made “Honorary member”
of the Chilean Language Academy.
June 30th: he gives a long TV interview for
the show “Reunión con la Pernsa” on Universidad
de Chile’s Channel 9.
July 12th: he celebrates his 65th birthday
in the company of secretaries of state, journalists, artists
and intellectuals.
Nascimento publishes an edition of 500 copies of Aún
in Santiago de Chile.
First edition of Fin de mundo, published by the Sociedad de
Arte Contemporáneo, with illustrations by Mario Carreño,
Nemesio Antúnez, Pedro Millar, María Martner,
Julio Escámez and Osvaldo Guayasamín.
This year, an edition by Losda publishers also appears.
Manuel Calvo finishes his 48 minutes documentary in Neruda,
shot in Temuco, Puerto Saavedra and Isla Negra.
August 19th: Bibliographic exhibition of Neruda’s
work hosted by Chile’s National Library.
August 21st: he receives the grade of Doctor
Scientiae et Honoris Causa from the Pontificia Universidad Católica
de Chile.
September 4th: the Senate honours him with
the Illustrious Sons of Chile Silver Medal.
September 30th: he is nominated as presidential
pre-candidate by the Chilean Communist Party. As such, he embarks
of several political tours around the country’s territory.
|
| 1970 |
January
3rd: he abandons his candidacy after the nomination of Dr. Salvador
Allende as the Unidad Popular’s only candidate.
Early April: trip to Europe, brief stay in Paris, departure
to Moscow to attend the annual sessions of the Lenin Prize jury
and the celebrations of Lenin’s birthday.
He participates in the “Westminster Poetry” festival
in London.
July: recital at the Sorbonne.
End of June: he embarks towards America on board of the transatlantic
Verdi, making a stop in Barcelona, a brief stay in Caracas and
another stop in Peru before arriving in Chile.
Once in the country, he actively takes part in Dr. Salvador
Allende’s fourth presidential campaign.
September 4th: Dr. Salvador Allende G. is elected President
of Chile.
September 12th: His new book Maremoto, an edition of Santiago’s
Sociedad de Arte Contemporáneo with colour xylographs
by Carin Oldfelt, is presented at the “Studio” bookstore.
The books La espada encendida and Las piedras del cielo are
released, Losada publishers, Buenos Aires.
|
| 1971 |
|
January: he travels to Eastern Island and
participates in the shooting of the documentary “Historia
y Geografía de Pablo Neruda” for the Universidad
Católica de Chile’s Channel 13.
January 21st: the Chilean Senate approves
his nomination as Chile’s ambassador in Paris.
March 2nd: he travels to Europe to take possession
of the charge and on this month 26th he presents his credentials
to President Georges Pompidou.
July: he experiences the first the symptoms
of the disease diagnosed to him two years ago: the appearance
of nodules and prostrate growth.
October 1st: he’s awarded the Literature
Nobel Prize.
End of October: he goes under surgery for
prostrate cancer.
He buys and opens the “La Manquel” house in Normandy.
Special edition of Estravagario, with five engravings by Austrian
sculptor Alfred Hrdlicka.
December 7th: he arrives in Stockholm with
Matilde Urrutia to attend the ceremony of the Nobel Prize
presentation, held on this month 10th. In his memoirs, the
poet remembers: “The old king shook the hands of everyone,
gave us the diploma, the medal, the check (…) It is
said (or so it was said to Matilde just to impress her) that
the king spent more time with me than wit other laureates,
that he shook my hand with evident sympathy. It was perhaps
a reminiscence of the old kindness of monarchs towards bards”.
|
| 1972 |
| January:
he participates in the meetings of the “Paris Club”,
formed by Chile’s creditor countries.
March: he attends as a guest the XIII Italian Communist Party
Congress in Milan.
April: he travels to the US for the PEN Club’s 50th
anniversary.
He returns to Paris, where he suffers a relapse and on April
24th he goes to Moscow ton consult soviet physicians.
Geografía infructuosa is published by Losada, Buenos
Aires.
He travels to London where he takes part in the poetry International
Festival.
June 28th: he is hospitalised in Paris for a few days.
July 12th: he celebrates his 68th birthday in “La Manquel”
together with several artists and intellectuals.
He goes under surgery for the second time in mid July.
August: he starts working on his memoirs with his assistant
Homero Arce.
October 19th: he offers a conference at the UNESCO. This entity’s
General Conference makes him a member of its Consultant Council
for a four years period.
October 26th: Meeting with the French President Georges Pompidou.
November 21st: return to Chile with a brief stop at Madrid’s
airport.
December 5th: the Chilean people offer the poet a tribute
at the Estadio Nacional. This will be his last public appearance.
La rosa separada is released by Éditions du Dragon,
Paris, in a luxury edition of only 9 copies with engravings
by Enrique Zañartu.
|
| 1973 |
| February
2nd: Alleging health difficulties, Neruda quits his
position as Chile’s Ambassador in France.
February 16th: Incitación al nixonicidio
y alabanza de la revolución chilena is published in
Santiago in a popular edition of 60.000 copies by Quimantú.
End of February: he authorizes the New York
University’s Ecology and Evolution Department to name
a genre of American butterflies after him.
March: the Inter American Writers Association
makes him a member of its Honour Committee.
March 3rth: he pronounces a speech on radio
to support the Unidad Popular candidates for the March 4th
Congress elections.
March/ April: he goes under radiotherapy
sessions at the Van Buren Hospital in Valparaiso.
July: he checks into Santiago’s Clínica
Alemana for new examinations.
July 12th: he delivers Losada publishers
the manuscripts of seven unpublished books.
September 11th: Coup d’état
in Chile. Suicide of President Salvador Allende and ascension
of a General Government Board presided by Augusto Pinochet.
September 19th: he is carried urgently from
Isla Negra to Santiago.
September 23rd: he dies at 10.30 PM in Santiago’s
Clínica Santa María.
He is waked in “La Chascona”, his Santiago residency,
which has been previously forced and attacked by security
and order forces.
September 25th: in an atmosphere of tension
and collective mourning, a big crowd accompanies Pablo Neruda’s
body to the Cementerio General. Once in the cemetery, provocative
shouts in his honour and Salvador Allende’s are heard.
He’s provisionally buried in the Dittborn family’s
mausoleum.
November 28th: his first posthumous book,
El mar y las campanas, is published by Losada, Buenos Aires.
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