Juan Muñoz, author of the sagas of Fray Perico and El Pirata Garrapata, dies at 93

Juan Muñoz Martín, at his home in Manzanares el Real in September 2020. SANTI BURGOS

The writer Juan Muñoz Martín, author of the sagas of Fray Perico and El Pirata Garrapata, has died at the age of 93, as announced by his family on his Twitter account.

“Dear readers and students of Juan Muñoz, we sadly announce his death.

His books will always make us remember the best moments of our childhood, laughing at his crazy stories.

We want new readers to discover you.

We remember him that happy ”, reads the message.

Muñoz Martín, born in Madrid, marked several generations by getting thousands of children hooked on reading with

, which has nine volumes, and

, with 16 titles.

In addition, he wrote other stories such as

or

.

Dear readers and students of Juan Muñoz, we sadly announce his death.

His books will always make us remember the best moments of our childhood, laughing at his crazy stories.

We want new readers to discover you.

We remember him so happy.

pic.twitter.com/bidS3AAp9q

— Juan Muñoz Martín (@autorFrayPerico) February 27, 2023

The writer, who was also a literature professor —taught for more than 40 years at the Jamer Institution School in Madrid—, opened a Twitter account in 2020 with the help of his children and grandchildren, where he thanked the affection of the users towards his books, of which he sold more than two million copies among all his sagas.

With

, the story of a friar who turned a convent in Salamanca upside down in the 19th century, Muñoz Martín won the El Barco de Vapor award in 1979, although it was not his first short story.

In 1966 he entered the Doncel literary contest, which he ended up winning with what would be his first publication,

.

He would also be followed by other awards, such as the Youth Novel Wide Angle for

(1984) or the 1st Complutense Cervantes Chico Award for Children's and Youth Literature, in 1992, for being the author most read by children.

“In this account we will announce events or publications that may interest you from the author of Fray Perico and El Pirata Garrapata.

Thank you all: readers, booksellers, teachers, parents, publishers, journalists and friends from the world of books and culture who have made him so happy", added his relatives in a second message on Twitter.

In this account we will announce events or publications that may interest you from the author of Fray Perico and El Pirata Garrapata.

Thank you all: readers, booksellers, teachers, parents, publishers, journalists and friends from the world of books and culture who have made him so happy.

— Juan Muñoz Martín (@autorFrayPerico) February 27, 2023

The adventures of

even reached China, when a Chinese Spanish teacher asked a colleague which books were most successful in Spain, and he mentioned those by Muñoz.

It was when he used them to teach Spanish to his university students in the Asian country.

In an interview with EL PAÍS in 2020, Muñoz Martín recounted his first steps in literature: “In 1966 I entered the Doncel literary contest one day before delivering the book.

I only had a few short stories and I spent the whole night with my wife to shape them.

She typed and I imagined.

In the end I won with what would be my first publication,

.

I remember when Fraga Iribarne gave me the award”.

In the same meeting he explained the secret of his stories: “My books make people laugh.

We know they are lies, but we would like it to be so in real life.

It's like putting people in a dream.

The characters live very varied adventures, they can be at the North Pole or on the Moon.

You have to look for the funny vein in the stories.

Imagine a president's dog."

At the age of 10, Muñoz entered the Ávila seminary and later continued in Madrid.

“There we were close to 400. At that time you either did a degree or ended up being a priest.

I got away with 17 years because it was not my vocation.

Then I studied French Philology at the Complutense University, ”he explained.

The first reading that marked him was Don Quixote:

It was compulsory reading to enter the Baccalaureate.

When I started writing I opted for readings with a lot of characters and action, which suited what I was going to write.

In the end I wrote my little

told this newspaper.

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