Fabián Dobles facts for kids

Fabián Dobles Rodríguez (born January 17, 1918 – died March 22, 1997) was a famous Costa Rican writer. He also worked as a teacher, lawyer, and journalist. He was known for writing about the challenges faced by poor people and for speaking out for fairness in society.

Fabián Dobles wrote many novels, short stories, and poems. He is considered one of the most important writers from the "Generación del 40" (Generation of '40s) in Costa Rican literature.

Early Life and Family

Fabián Dobles was born in 1918 in a small town called San Antonio de Belén. He was one of eleven children. His parents, Miguel Dobles and Carmen Rodríguez, came from well-known families in Heredia, Costa Rica.

His father, Miguel Dobles, was a doctor who studied in New York University. He worked as a country doctor for the Costa Rican government. Fabián grew up in the rural community of Atenas, in the Alajuela area.

Fabián's father wanted him to become a priest. However, Fabián decided to follow a different path. He chose to study law at the University of Costa Rica. Even when he was young, his poems were published in an important magazine called Repertorio Americano.

Working for Social Change

From his student days, Fabián Dobles was very active in causes that aimed to improve society. He became a leading member of the Communist Party of Costa Rica.

In the 1940s, this party worked with the Costa Rican government. Together, they helped create some of the country's first modern laws to help people in need, like social welfare programs. During this time, Dobles worked for the government's Child Welfare Agency. He also worked for the Costa Rican Social Security Fund, which helps people save money and get benefits.

After a civil war in Costa Rica in 1949, the Communist Party was made illegal. Fabián Dobles was even put in prison for a time. After he was released, it was hard for him to find a job. He worked many different jobs, like delivering milk and weaving blankets. He also managed a lumber business and a company that made doors and windows.

Later, he found work as an English teacher at a public high school in San José. He also became a professor at the University of Costa Rica, teaching about social work. He wrote for international news agencies from the Soviet Union and Cuba. He also worked for the Costa Rican state publisher, Editorial Costa Rica, and eventually became one of its directors.

His Books and Awards

Fabián Dobles wrote many books, including eight novels, seven collections of short stories, and three books of poetry. His writing often focused on the lives of simple farmers in Costa Rica and the struggles of people living in cities. He believed his writing was part of his work to make society better.

One of his novels, En el San Juan hay tiburón (meaning "There are sharks in the San Juan River"), was published in 1967. It was about the fight against a dictatorship in Nicaragua.

For his amazing literary work, Fabián Dobles received the Magón National Prize for Culture in 1968. This is the highest award for cultural work in Costa Rica. Some of his short stories from Historias de Tata Mundo (meaning "Tales of Daddy World") were even translated into several languages by UNESCO.

In 1993, his complete works were published in five volumes by the University of Costa Rica and the National University of Costa Rica. In 1994, he became a member of the Costa Rican Academy of Language.

Professor Edward Waters Hood, an expert in Latin American literature, said that Dobles was "one of Central America's best known novelists." He noted that Dobles's novels explored the "conflict between tradition and change, and the search for an individual and national identity."

Later Life

Fabián Dobles passed away at his home in San Isidro de Heredia when he was 79 years old. He was survived by his wife, Cecilia Trejos, whom he married in 1942, and their five daughters.

Works available in English

• Years Like Brief Days, novel, translated by Joan Henry ISBN: 978-0-7206-0987-5
• The Stories of Tata Mundo, short stories, translated by Joan Henry ISBN: 978-9-9776-7505-3

See also

In Spanish: Fabián Dobles para niños

• Costa Rican literature