Rubem Fonseca


Rubem Fonseca was a Brazilian writer.

Life and career

He was born in Juiz de Fora, in the state of Minas Gerais, but he lived most of his life in Rio de Janeiro. In 1952, he started his career as a low-level cop and, later became a police commissioner, one of the highest ranks in the civil police of Brazil. Following the steps of American novelist Thomas Pynchon, a close friend of Fonseca, he refused to give interviews and felt strongly about maintaining his privacy.
His stories are dark and gritty, filled with violence and sexual content, and usually set in an urban environment. He claimed a writer should have the courage to show what most people are afraid to say. His work is considered groundbreaking in Brazilian literature, up until then mostly focused on rural settings and usually treating cities with less interest. Almost all Brazilian contemporary writers acknowledge Fonseca's importance. Authors from the rising generation of Brazilian writers, such as Patrícia Melo or Luiz Ruffato, have stated that Fonseca's writing has influenced their work.
He started his career by writing short stories, considered by some critics as his strongest literary creations. His first popular novel was A Grande Arte, but "Agosto" is usually considered his best work.
In 2003, he won the Camões Prize, considered to be the most important award in the Portuguese language.
In 2012 he became the first recipient of Chile's Manuel Rojas Ibero-American Narrative Award.
He died in Rio de Janeiro in April 2020 at the age of 94 just 26 days before his 95th birthday

Brazilian editions

Novels and novellas