Rachel de Queiroz

(1910-2003)

Brazil

© by the author

 

Rachel de Queiroz began her career in journalism in 1927 and entered the literary world with the novel O Quinze in 1930. 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. In 1993 she won the Camões Prize and the Jabuti Prize. Queiroz also dedicated herself to literary translation, including the work of Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy and Emily Brontë.

 

 

O Quinze (“The Fifteen”), making reference to the terrible drought of 1915 in Ceará, earned unexpected success in Brazil, an impressive achievement for an unknown female author from the northeast who was only twenty years old. Rachel de Queiroz was then launched into the Brazilian literary scene, heralding the banner of the social novel, deeply realistic in its dramatic description of the secular fight of a people against their misery and the drought, giving rise to the fruitful and important life of the northeastern Brazilian novel, along with author Jorge Amado.

 

 

Maria Moura, the protagonist of Memorial de Maria Moura (“The Memorial of Maria Moura), is a woman in search of love and liberty. At the age of 17 she starts losing the reasons for her existence: her mother is murdered and Maria is raped by her stepfather and has to fight for her land. Queiroz presents us with a strong yet sweet character, a tender fighter who struggles to remain faithful to her principles. One of the great classics of Brazilian literature.

 

 

Represented for Riff Agency, exc. French, Portuguese & Spanish

 

 

Original editions (selection) and rights sold:

 

Novels:

O Quinze

1930; Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio 2004, 157 p.

France: Stock 1986 Germany: Suhrkamp 1978 Portugal: Difel 1983

 

João Miguel

1932; Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio 2004, 117 p.

France: Stock 1984

 

Caminho de Pedras

1937; Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio 2004, 156 p.

 

As Três Marias

1939; Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio 2005, 155 p.

Germany: dtv 1994 US: University of Texas Press 1963

 

Galo de Ouro

1950; Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio 2004, 225 p.

 

Dora Doralina

1975; Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio 2005, 247 p.

France: Stock 1980 US: Avon 1984

 

Memorial de Maria Moura

1992; Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio 2004, 493 p.

France: Métailié 1995 Germany: Schneekluth 1998

 

 

Short prose:

A Donzela e a Moura Torta

1948; Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio, to be published

 

Um Alpendre, Uma Rede, Um Açude

1958; Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio 2006, 261 p.

 

O Homen e o Tempo

1964; Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio, forthcoming

 

O Caçador de Tatu

1967; Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio, forthcoming

 

As Terras Asperas

1993; Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio, forthcoming

 

Cenas Brasileiras

São Paulo: Ática 1997, 128 p.

 

A Casa do Morro Branco

1999; Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio 2008, 144 p.

 

O não me deixes

2000; Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio 2010, 116 p.

 

Falso Mar, Falso Mundo: 89 crônicas escolhidas

2002; Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio, forthcoming

 

Existe Outra Saída, Sim

2003; Fortaleza: Fundação Demócrito Rocha 2007, 126 p.

 

A Lua de Londres

Fortaleza: Fundação Demócrito Rocha, forthcoming in 2010

 

 

Theater:

Lampião - A Beata Maria do Egito

1953; Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio 2005, 210 p.

 

 

Children’s books:

O Menino Mágico

1969; São Paulo: Caramelo 2004, 96 p.

(Ill. by Laurabeatriz)

 

Cafute e a Pena de Prata

1986; São Paulo:  Caramelo 2004, 40 p.

(Ill. by Maria Eugênia)

 

Andira

1992; São Paulo: Caramelo 2004, 48 p.

(Ill. by Suppa)

 

Xerimbabo

Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio 2002, 40 p.

(Ill. by Gaça Lima)

 

Memórias de Menina

Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio 2003, 32 p.

(Ill. by Mariana Massarani)