Journalist and writer (Monóvar, 1907- 1996 Elda)
With a long career as a writer, articulist, concert pianist and lecturer since 1926, Carmen Payà began to publish her articles in newspapers of Monòvar such as Renovación or La Cháchara and in other locations such as Elda and Alicante.
She was settled in Madrid since 1930 and she started to work as a columnist in the press of the capital and she also translated some works of French literature into Spanish.
In 1934, she published her first novel: Adventures of a shy man in Paris (Madrid, Imprenta de Juan Pueyo).
The Civil War surprised her in Madrid. Then, she returned to Monóvar and became the first councilwoman of the City Council in 1937, representing the Sindicalista Party.
Finished the war, she was condemned to 20 years of prison by aid to the rebellion and she was imprisoned until 1943 when Carmen was free as a result of an amnesty.
She began to give piano concerts in which she included talks, thus inaugurating the conference-concert genre. At the same time, she re-published articles in the press.
The main themes of her lectures and articles were the customs and traditions of the people and countries she had visited, the visibility of women and enology. Some of these articles were awarded with journalistic awards.
Although a contradictory feminist of a conservative nature, with her articles and lectures, she made known and disseminated the work and presence of the women of her time, we can see this in:
The woman and its significance in modern life (Madrid, 1961).
A woman triumphs (Madrid, 1963).
In 1982 she published her memoirs, A Woman and Three Prisons: Memories of Love and Pain. Carmen Paya died in Elda in 1996.
