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Maria Valéria Rezende

マリア・ヴァレリア・レゼンデ

Maria Valéria Rezende

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1942-01-01 （Santos, São Paulo, Brazil）
Nationality
Brazil
Languages
Portuguese
Religion
Roman Catholic
Residence History
Recife / Olinda, Pernambuco → Brejo region, Paraíba → João Pessoa, Paraíba

Career

Occupations
writer, nun, educator
Active Years
1960-
Memberships
Congregation of Our Lady - Canonesses of St. Augustine

Education

Nancy-Université
French Language and Literature
Degree: 学士
Country: France
Studied French language and literature in France
Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP)
Pedagogy
Degree: 学士
Country: Brazil
Studied pedagogy
Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB)
Sociology (master's)
Degree: 修士
Country: Brazil
Holds a master's degree in sociology

Awards

Prêmio Jabuti (children's literature category)
2009
Work: No risco do caracol
Category: 児童文学
Organization: Prêmio Jabuti organization
Result: 受賞
Prêmio Jabuti (juvenile category)
2013
Work: Ouro dentro da cabeça
Category: ヤングアダルト
Organization: Prêmio Jabuti organization
Result: 受賞
Prêmio Jabuti (fiction categories)
2015
Work: Quarenta dias
Category: 長編・年間最優秀作品
Organization: Prêmio Jabuti organization
Result: 受賞（部門および年間最優秀）
Casa de las Américas Prize
2017
Work: Outros cantos
Category: 小説
Organization: Casa de las Américas
Result: 受賞
São Paulo Prize for Literature
2017
Work: Outros cantos
Category: 小説
Organization: São Paulo Prize for Literature organization
Result: 受賞
Prêmio Jabuti (3rd place)
2017
Work: Outros cantos
Category: 長編
Organization: Prêmio Jabuti organization
Result: 第3位

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Vasto Mundo

2001 novel

Her debut work, presenting stories that portray Brazilian social landscapes through various characters; mixes short and long narrative elements.

societyjourneymemory

O Voo da Guará Vermelha

2005 novel

A regionally rooted novel set against the landscapes and culture of northeastern Brazil.

regional identityculturehuman relationships

Quarenta dias

2014 novel

A lengthy novel about personal journeys and inner searching; awarded the Prêmio Jabuti in 2015 for fiction and Book of the Year.

journeyfaithrenewal

Outros cantos

2016 novel

A 2016 novel that won the Casa de las Américas Prize and the São Paulo Prize for Literature in 2017; placed third in the Jabuti Prize the same year.

communityhistorymemory

Carta à Rainha Louca

2019 novel

One of her recent novels; detailed themes and synopsis are limited in public sources.

imaginationhuman observation

No risco do caracol

2008 children's literature

A children's book that won the Prêmio Jabuti in the children's literature category in 2009.

natureimagination

Bibliography

  • Vasto Mundo (2001)
  • O Voo da Guará Vermelha (2005)
  • No risco do caracol (2008)
  • Ouro dentro da cabeça (2012)
  • Quarenta dias (2014)
  • Outros cantos (2016)
  • Carta à Rainha Louca (2019)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lyrical, poetic prosenarrative that reflects local communities and popular voices
Recurring Motifs
journeys and movementmemory and historynortheastern Brazilian landscapesfaith and solidarity

Legacy

Maria Valéria Rezende is recognized for blending experiences from education and religious life into poetic portrayals of Brazilian regionality and social issues. She has won multiple major literary awards and is highly regarded in Brazil and abroad.

Trivia

  • Born in 1942 and debuted in literature in 2001 (around age 59 at debut).
  • Joined a religious congregation in 1965 and long worked in educational activities, experiences that inform her writing.