Editing Marin Preda (section)

== Literary activity ==
In April 1942, Preda made his publishing debut with the sketch ''"Părlitu"'' ("Burnt") in the newspaper ''Timpul,'' endorsed by the poet [[Miron Radu Paraschivescu]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Preda |first=Marin |date= 15–16 April 1942 |title=Părlitu |journal=Timpul |volume=1771–1772}}</ref> His debut at the age of 20 gave him confidence in his writing, and he continued to publish sketches and stories, including ''"Strigoaica"'' ("The Undead''"''), ''"Salcâmul"'' ("The Acacia''"''), ''"Calul"'' ("The Horse''"''), ''"Noaptea"'' ("''T''he Night''"''), and ''"La câmp"'' ("In the Field").<ref name="prefata"/>

In September, Preda resigned from his proofreading position at ''Timpul''. For a short time he was a civil servant at the Institute of Statistics. On the recommendation of critic [[Eugen Lovinescu]], the poet [[Ion Vinea]] hired him as editorial secretary at the newspaper ''Evenimentul zilei'' ("Today's Event").

In March 1943, he wrote a column for the newspaper ''Vremea războiului'' ("The Time of War"). That April, ''Evenimentul zilei'' published his sketch "''Rotila''". Preda took part in several meetings of the ''[[Sburătorul]]'' ("The Flier''"'') literary circle, led by Eugen Lovinescu, where his short story "''Calul''" produced a vivid impression, arousing the delight of [[Dinu Nicodin]], who purchased the manuscript for a large sum of money.<ref name="Scribd_2020-04-28">{{Citation | url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/533354/Preda-Marin-Imposibila-intoarcere| title=Preda, Marin – Imposibila intoarcere| via=Scribd| access-date=28 April 2020}}</ref> The short story was included in Preda's debut volume, ''Întâlnirea din pământuri'' ("''The Meeting between the Lands"''), published in 1948. The volume hinted at Preda's defining use of autobiographical, "fly on the wall" narratives: in the eponymous short story, critics immediately recognized the author's father, who would also appear with a changed name in ''Moromeții''.

Between 1943 and 1945 he served in the [[Romania in World War II|Romanian Army]], an experience he would describe in his later works. In 1945 he became a proofreader for the newspaper ''[[România liberă]]'' ("Free Romania").

Between 1949 and 1955, he wrote the first volume of the novel ''Moromeții,'' that would later be considered his defining work.

In 1952 he became editor of the magazine ''Viaţa Românească'' ("Romanian Life"). In 1956 he received the State Prize for Literature for the novel ''Moromeții.'' A year later, in 1957, Preda travelled to [[Vietnam]] and Beijing, China.

Between 1960 and 1961 he read widely, and undertook translations of foreign literature into Romanian. Preda became fascinated by [[William Faulkner]], with whom his prose has certain affinities. In 1965, he and his wife Eta translated the novel ''[[The Plague (novel)|The Plague]]'' by Albert Camus into Romanian. In 1968 he was elected the vice president of the [[Writers' Union of Romania|Romanian Writers' Union]], and in 1970 he became director of the Cartea Românească ("Romanian Book") publishing house, which he led until his sudden death in 1980. In 1970 he translated [[Fyodor Dostoevsky]]'s novel [[Demons (Dostoevsky novel)|''Demons'']] in collaboration with [[Nicolae Gane]]. Preda's novel, ''Marele singuratic'' ("The Great Lonely One"), received the Writers' Union Award in 1971.

Preda's 1975 novel ''Delirul'' ("Delirium") is reflects an attempt to reconsider [[Ion Antonescu]]'s role in Romanian history, against the background of resurgent nationalist pride in socialist Romania. Here, Antonescu is painted as a tragic figure, who collaborated with Nazi Germany due to his belief that this was the only way to regain [[Bessarabia]].<ref>Ceauşescu and the Securitate: coercion and dissent in Romania, 1965–1989. By Dennis Deletant. [https://books.google.com/books?id=XmmilITRkxYC&dq=romania&pg=PA161 p. 161]</ref> The first edition of the novel quickly sold out.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

He became a corresponding [[list of members of the Romanian Academy|member of the Romanian Academy]] in 1974, and was promoted to titular post-mortem member in 1990.<ref>{{in lang|ro}} [http://www.agerpres.ro/flux-documentare/2015/05/16/documentar-se-implinesc-35-de-ani-de-la-moartea-scriitorului-marin-preda-11-41-04 "Se împlinesc 35 de ani de la moartea scriitorului Marin Preda"], Agerpres</ref>

The second edition of the novel ''"Marele singuratic"'' had appeared in 1976, and in 1977 he published ''"Viața ca o pradă"'' (''Life as a Prey''), a comprehensive autobiographical novel whose main theme is the crystallization of an artist's conscience.

In 1980, Marin Preda published his last novel, ''Cel mai iubit dintre pământeni'' ("The Most Beloved of Earthlings"), regarded as a violent critique of communism. After a few short weeks on the market, the novel was withdrawn from all public, university, and school libraries, as well as all bookshops.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}

An eyewitness stated that in 1970, Preda had told President [[Nicolae Ceaușescu]]: ''"If you want to introduce socialist realism, I, Marin Preda, will commit suicide.''<ref>The poet Adrian Păunescu, in an interview in ''Jurnalul Naţional'' (the National Journal) from March 18, 2009</ref>''"'' But the author had never publicly criticized socialist realism and never doubted the legitimacy of the communist regime.<ref>Nicolae Manolescu, "''Istoria critică a literaturii române – 5 secole de literatură''" (The Critical History of Romanian Literature – 5 Centuries of Literature)</ref>