Pino Betancor Álvarez

Pino Betancor was born in Seville, although she was registered in Madrid and grew up there with her adoptive parents. Her education included English and French, and from a young age she was interested in writing, dance, singing and theatre. At fourteen she gathered her verses in a notebook titled Primeros poemas.

In 1950 she travelled to Gran Canaria to meet her paternal family and there met poet José María Millares Sall, whom she married two years later. The couple collaborated on the journal Planas de poesía. After a period living in Madrid, Betancor returned to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1974, from where she continued publishing and taking part in Canarian literary life.

Her first poetry collection, Manantial de silencio, appeared in 1951. It was followed, among others, by Cristal, Los caminos perdidos, Las moradas terrestres, Las oscuras violetas and Nada más que esa luz. The Academia Canaria de la Lengua identifies love and social concern as the two persistent cores of her poetry. After her death, La memoria encendida and new editions of her complete work fostered the critical recovery of her voice.