Rachel de Queiroz (, November 17, 1910 – November 4, 2003) was a Brazilian author, translator and journalist.
Biography
Rachel de Queiroz was born on 17 November 1910 in Fortaleza, capital of the northeastern state of Ceará. During her childhood, her family spent a couple of years in Rio de Janeiro and Belém before moving back to Fortaleza.
She began her career in journalism in 1927 under the pen name "Rita de Queiroz". She entered the national spotlight with the unexpected success of her debut novel O Quinze in 1930. She published another three novels before moving to Rio in 1939. She was also renowned for her chronicles, short topical newspaper pieces.
In 1964 she became Brazil's representative to the UN, and in 1977 she became the first female writer to enter the Academia Brasileira de Letras. She won the Camões Prize (1993) and the Prêmio Jabuti.
She died of a heart attack in her apartment in Leblon, Rio de Janeiro on 4 November 2003, about two weeks before her 93rd birthday.
The Brazilian Marines' base in the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) is named after her.
Legacy
Her novel O Quinze was made into a film in 2004.
On November 17, 2017, Google celebrated her 107th birthday with a Google Doodle.
Works
Novels
(1930) O Quinze
(1932) João Miguel
(1937) O caminho das pedras
(1939) As três Marias
(1950) O galo de ouro
(1975) Dora Doralina
(1992) Memorial de Maria Moura
Drama
(1953) Lampião
(1958) A Beata Maria do Egito
Collections of chronicles
(1963) O brasileiro perplexo
(1967) O caçador de tatu
(1976) As menininhas e outras crônicas
Non-fiction
(1998) Tantos anos (co-authored with her sister, Maria Luíza)