Tomás Graves

Who is Tomás Graves?

Tomás Graves, is a graphic designer, printer, musician and writer. He is the son of poet Robert Graves and Beryl Graves.

In 1964, he began at Bedales boarding school in England. In 1972 he began studying typographic design at the London College of Printing. In 1975, he returned to Majorca and began working as a designer, photographer and musician. In 1979, he travelled to Nicaragua for six months to observe and document the Sandinista revolution in recordings and photographs, and playing with the Teatro Popular Sandinista.

He joined the Mallorcan band, Pa Amb Oli in 1980. The same year, he met his future wife, Carmen. In 1983, Graves and Carmen established the New Seizin Press in Deià, producing entirely hand-made books until 2000. Their daughter, Rocío, was born in 1987, and Tomás and Carmen married in 1996.

He began writing and translating in 1996. His first translation was of Beloved Majorcans into English, followed by his own work in Spanish, Un Hogar en Mallorca. Volem Pa Amb Oli was translated as Bread and Oil and has also appeared in Dutch. His first book written in English was Tuning Up at Dawn.