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Born in Santiago, in 1954. Resident in Denmark since 1974. Member of the Danish Author´s Society since 1990. Began writing in Danish in 1985.
 
1985 First prize in essay competition organized by Politiken newspaper, with Us and the Wonder (Os og vidunderet).

1989 Novel Letter to Denmark (Brevet til Danmark), 330 pgs. Forlaget Hjulet. The experiences of the author in 1974, while being a refugee in Argentina, before his arrival to Denmark.

1992 Children book The Tricky Ghost   (Spøgelse på afveje), illustrated 46 pgs. Forlaget Hjulet. Some children living in Sandholm Camp, Denmark´s biggest refugee camp, discover a baby ghost that has run away from his parents.

1993 Short stories Meetings with Denmark (Møder med Danmark), 140 pgs. Forlaget Hjulet. Three stories with an interval of five years, that illustrate the authors relation to Denmark

1995 Latin Musical To the Flesh - To the Heart (Til kødet - Til hjertet). Two  hours. Libretto including 28 songs, for an eight musician orchestra, 12 leading and 26 secondary rolls. Performed in Aalborg by Det hem´lig teater. The deities of the platonic and sensual love, twin brothers, get blinded and come for ever away from each other.  

1996 Educational and debate book The Open Door (Den åbne Dør) illustrated 100 pgs. CDR. Forlag.  About polemic aspects of asylum and emigration in Denmark. Widely used in sch
ool and pedagogical seminars.  

1997 Play The Trade. One and half hour, for four leading roles. Second prize in play competition Copenhagen Cultural City 96, presented as a reading in Kronborg - and by Hypermobile theatre company in Det Lille Teater, 2000. A man´s obsession for a woman makes him take a cru
cial step. Similarities to Mephisto and Middle Age tales. Also published as book by Drama Forlaget in 1998.  

2000 Second prize in a short stories competition organized by Det Fri Aktuelt newspap
er with Only one Answer (Kun et svar).

2001  Short stories  From Airport to airport (Fra lufthavn til lufthavn), 200 pgs. Published in English as THE TRAIL WE LEAVE by Curbstone Press in 2004; translation by Alexander Taylor. Winner of Book Of The Year Award in Foreword Magazin, 2004. Published in Greek by Hestia in 2005; translation by Sotiris Souliotis.

2005  Poems. The land after yesterday (Landet efter i går), 120 pages. Illustrated by Sebastian Sztafij. Published by Tiderne Skifter.

Palma frequently participates in debates and congresses in Denmark and abroad. He has published a diversity of essays, featured articles, tales and poems in newspapers, magazines and anthologies. About 2300 of his books can be found in Danish public libraries. His literary work has entitled him to a number of foundation grants; including Ledig House in New York and the incomparable Lannan Foundation Residency Program in Marfa, Texas.  

Coming works:

1) Children book: Nu er det nok! (Enough!). About the absurdity og ideologically motivated wars. Illustrated by Alonso Salazar. To be edited by Palka Forlag, 2009. 

2) Chamber opera: Waiting in Nowhere. One night in a Danish refugee camp. To be produced by The Royal Danish Theatre in 2010.  

 

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Read a short story from The Trail We Leave