Lúcia Benedetti facts for kids

Lúcia Benedetti (born March 30, 1914, in Mococa, São Paulo – died 1998, in Rio de Janeiro) was a famous Brazilian writer. She wrote many different kinds of stories, including books for children, novels, and plays. She was also a chronicler, which means she wrote articles about daily life and events, and a translator, changing books from one language to another.

About Lúcia Benedetti

Lúcia Benedetti was born in Mococa. Her father, Dominique Benedetti, was a tailor and musician. When she was a student in Rio de Janeiro, Lúcia started writing short stories and essays for a magazine called O Ensaio.

She studied pedagogy at the Bittencourt Silva School in Niterói. In 1932, she earned a degree in legal science, but she never worked as a lawyer.

While working as a teacher, Lúcia wrote for the newspaper A Noite. There, she met her husband, Raimundo Magalhaes Júnior, who was a journalist and writer. They got married in 1933.

In 1942, Lúcia and her husband moved to the United States. Her husband worked with Nelson Rockefeller and for the New York Times newspaper. Lúcia Benedetti also became a writer for the New York Times and worked there until 1945.

During her time in the United States, she wrote her first novel, Chico Vira Bicho e outras histórias, with her husband. However, her first book published on her own was Entrada de serviço in 1942.

Lúcia Benedetti is known for being a pioneer in children's theater in Brazil. Her play, O Casaco Encantado (The Enchanted Coat), was first performed in 1948 by the Companhia Artistas Unidos.

Her plays were also performed in other countries, like Portugal and Argentina. Lúcia Benedetti is the mother of Rosa Magalhães, who is also a well-known artist.

Awards and Recognition

Lúcia Benedetti received several awards for her writing:

• Prêmio Afonso Arinos from the Brazilian Academy of Letters for her book Vesperal com Chuva in 1950.
• Prêmio de Teatro infantil (Children's Theater Award) from the City of Federal District in 1954.
• Prêmio Arthur Azevedo from the Brazilian Academy of Letters in 1948 for her play O Casaco Encantado.
• Prêmio A.B.C.T. – Revelação de Autor (New Author Award) in 1949 for O Casaco Encantado.
• Prêmio Teatro Infantil (Children's Theater Award) – Lei Jorge de Lima in 1952 for her play Joãozinho Anda Pra Trás.

Her Works

Plays for Children and Young People

• O Casaco Encantado (The Enchanted Coat) (1948)
• Simbita e o Dragão (Simbita and the Dragon) (1948)
• A Menina das Nuvens (The Girl of the Clouds) (1949)
• Branca de Neve (Snow White) (1950)
• Josefina e o Ladrão (Josefina and the Thief) (1951)
• Joãozinho Anda Pra Trás (Little John Walks Backwards) (1952)
• Sinos de Natal (Christmas Bells) (1957)
• Sigamos a Estrela (Let's Follow the Star)
• Palhacinho Pimpão (Pimpão the Little Clown)

Main Novels

• Chico Vira Bicho (Chico Turns into an Animal) (1943)
• Entrada de Serviço (Service Entrance) (1942)
• Noturno sem Leito (Nocturne Without a Bed) (1947)
• Três Soldados (Three Soldiers) (1955)
• Chão Estrangeiro (Foreign Ground) (1956)
• Maria Isabel, Uma Vida no Rio (Maria Isabel, A Life in Rio) (1960)
• O Espelho Que Vê por Dentro (The Mirror That Sees Inside) (1965)

Plays for Adults

• O Banquete e a Farsa (The Banquet and the Farce)
• Amores de Celeste (Celeste's Loves)
• Figura de Pedro (Pedro's Figure) (1960)

Short Story Collections

• O Inferno de Rosauro, tal como se deu (Rosauro's Hell, as it Happened) (1960)
• Vesperal com Chuva (Evening with Rain) (1950)
• Nove Histórias Reunidas (Nine Stories Collected) (1956)

See also

In Spanish: Lúcia Benedetti para niños