Vicente Leñero facts for kids

Vicente Leñero Otero (June 9, 1933 – December 3, 2014) was a famous Mexican writer. He was a talented novelist, journalist, and playwright. He wrote many books, stories, and plays. One of his well-known works was a play based on the book The Children of Sanchez. Vicente Leñero won important awards for his writing. In 2001, he received the Premio Xavier Villaurrutia. The next year, he won the National Prize of Arts and Sciences for his work in literature.

Early Life and First Books

Vicente Leñero was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. He first studied civil engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He graduated in 1959. Soon after, he decided to become a writer.

Starting His Writing Career

His first novel was La voz adolorida (1961). This book showed his early style of writing. It was about a patient in a mental hospital. The patient shared his thoughts about his life.

Award-Winning Novels

In 1963, Leñero wrote Los albañiles. This book won the Premio Biblioteca Breve, a very important literature award. People praised the book for its interesting structure and deep meaning. It told the story of a watchman at a building site.

From Novels to Plays and Films

After writing novels, Vicente Leñero started writing plays. He adapted some of his own books for the stage.

Making Plays and Documentaries

In 1970, he turned Los albañiles into a play. He also adapted La carpa (1971) and Los hijos de Sánchez (1972) for the theater. Leñero helped create a new style of theater in Mexico. It was called "documentary theater." Two of his famous plays in this style are Pueblo rechazado and El juicio.

Writing for the Big Screen

Leñero also wrote scripts for movies. He was the screenwriter for El callejón de los milagros. For this film, he won an Ariel Award in 1995 from the Mexican Academy of Film. He also wrote the script for El crimen del Padre Amaro (2002). This movie became one of Mexico's highest-earning films. Later, he adapted the story of Fuera del cielo for its film version, released in 2007.

Journalism Work

Besides books and films, Vicente Leñero worked as a journalist. He wrote for well-known magazines. These included Claudia, Excélsior, and Proceso.

Later Life

Vicente Leñero passed away in Mexico City. He died on December 3, 2014, at the age of 81.

Selected Filmography

• Miroslava (1993)

See also

In Spanish: Vicente Leñero para niños