Ioan T. Morar

Ioan T. Morar (b. April 13, 1956) is a Romanian journalist, poet, dramatist, novelist, literary and art critic, and civil society activist. He is a founding member of the satirical magazine "Academia Caţavencu" (to which he notably contributes art and culture reviews) and, since 2004, a senior editor for "Cotidianul". An amateur actor in his youth, he was also a member of the comedy troupe Divertis from the mid-1980s to 1996.ro icon [http://www.mariromani.ro/dezbateri.php?c=6 Ioan T. Morar at "Mari Români"] ] ro icon [http://www.polirom.ro/autori.cgi?action=autori&class=details&id=1414 Biography] at the Polirom site]

Biography

Born in Şeitin, Arad County, Morar graduated as a valedictorian from the University of Timişoara's Faculty of Philology (Romanian-French section) in 1981. During the period, he became active in student theater groups — his troupe's performance in the 1981 adaptation of Vasile Alecsandri's comedy "Sânziana şi Pepelea" won it first prize during a festival in Iaşi (the city were he also met with and joined Divertis).ro icon [http://www.ziaruldeiasi.ro/cms/site/z_is/pages/staticpages/premii/premii.html 2005 Awards] , in "Ziarul de Iaşi"]

Assigned to a teaching position in Lugoj, he sat on the editorial staff for the magazines "Viaţa Studenţească" and "Amfiteatru" after 1987. He also began writing his first works of drama and poetry, and joined the Writers' Union. Morar's works, translated into several languages, won him the Writers' Union debut prize (1984, for "Vara indiană") and its poetry prize (2000, for "Şovăiala").

Following the 1989 Revolution, he became a member of the Civic Alliance, while contributing to the newspaper "Cuvântul". In 1990, Morar was employed by the national television station's Entertainment section and created several shows, but resigned the following year.

He authored his debut novel "Lindenfeld" in 2006, to critical acclaim.ro icon Tania Radu, [http://www.revista22.ro/html/index.php?nr=2005-07-20&art=1906 "Rochia de mireasă" (review of "Lidenfeld")] , in "22", Nr.802, July 2005] A fresco of a Swabian locality in the Banat ("see Lindenfeld, Caraş-Severin"), it is considered a "Postmodern novel". "Lindenfeld" was awarded the prize for prose works by the newspaper "Ziarul de Iaşi".

Morar returned to work for national television in 2006, and began hosting his talk show "Lumea citeşte!" ("People Read!"), aired by TVR 1. During the same year, he was invited to take part in the final stage of TVR1's "Mari Români" campaign, a series which called on intellectuals to showcase the 10 greatest Romanians ever (who had been determined by a poll); Morar supported "Domnitor" Alexander John Cuza for the top position, and co-produced a short television film depicting the latter's merits. As part of a 2005-2006 television advertising campaign for Kandia chocolate bars, Morar impersonated the last ruler of Communist Romania, Nicolae Ceauşescu.ro icon [http://www.dilemaveche.ro/index.php?nr=142&cmd=articol&id=4059 Interview with Alexandru Dumitrescu, deputy creative director for McCannErickson] , in "Dilema Veche", Nr.142, October 2006] ro icon [http://www.iqads.ro/interviul_6270/it_morar_in_trei_culori.html 2007 interview with Ioan T. Morar, at iqads.ro] ]

In early 2007, he left on an extended journey to New Caledonia, which he documented in a special blog for "Academia Caţavencu", called "Morar&More".

Works

*"Vara indiană" (1984)
*"Fumul şi spada" (1989)
*"Neruşinarea" (2003)
*"Şovăiala" (2000)
*"Lindenfeld" (2005)

References

External links

*ro icon [http://www.catavencu.ro/morar/ "Morar&More"]
* [http://iqads.ro/video.read.php?id=466 Video of the 2007 Kandia campaign]