Rubem Fonseca facts for kids
Rubem Fonseca (born May 11, 1925 – died April 15, 2020) was a famous Brazilian writer. He was known for his exciting short stories and novels.
Life and Writing Journey
Rubem Fonseca was born in Juiz de Fora, a city in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. However, he spent most of his life living in the big city of Rio de Janeiro.
In 1952, he began his career working as a police officer. He started at a lower rank and later became a police commissioner, which is a very high position in Brazil's civil police force.
Rubem Fonseca liked to keep his private life to himself. He rarely gave interviews. He believed that a writer should be brave enough to show things that most people might be scared to talk about.
His writing style was very new and different for Brazilian literature at the time. Before him, many Brazilian stories focused on life in the countryside. Fonseca, however, wrote a lot about cities, which was quite groundbreaking. Many writers in Brazil today say that Fonseca's work has been a big influence on them.
He started his writing journey by creating short stories. Many critics believe these short stories are some of his best works. One of his first popular novels was A Grande Arte (which means "High Art"). However, his book "Agosto" is often thought of as his greatest work. In many of Fonseca's books, you'll find a recurring character: a lawyer who also works as a detective named Mandrake.
Important Awards
Rubem Fonseca won several important awards for his writing:
- In 2003, he received the Camões Prize. This award is considered the most important prize for writers who write in the Portuguese language.
- In 2012, he was the very first person to win Chile's Manuel Rojas Ibero-American Narrative Award. This award celebrates great storytellers from Latin America and Spain.
Later Years
Rubem Fonseca passed away in Rio de Janeiro in April 2020. He was 94 years old, and his 95th birthday was just around the corner.
See also
In Spanish: Rubem Fonseca para niños
