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Milton Hatoum

ミルトン・アシス・ハトゥーム

Miruton Hatūmu

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1952-08-19 （Manaus, Brazil）
Nationality
Brazilian
Languages
Portuguese, French
Residence History
Manaus (birth & childhood) → Brasília (secondary school) → São Paulo (studies & professional activity) → Madrid, Barcelona (scholarship / residence) → Paris (postgraduate studies) → Berkeley (teaching / visiting professor)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Translator, Professor
Active Years
1980-
Affiliations
Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM), University of California, Berkeley (visiting professor), Brazilian Academy of Letters (elected to Chair 6, 2025)
Memberships
Brazilian Academy of Letters

Education

University of São Paulo (USP)
Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism
Period: 1970s
Country: Brazil
Studied Architecture and Urbanism
University of Paris III
Comparative literature / postgraduate courses
Country: France
Postgraduate studies
University of São Paulo (USP)
Graduate School of Literature / Literary Theory
Degree: 博士（文学理論）
Year of Graduation: 1998
Country: Brazil
Doctorate in Literary Theory (1998)

Awards

Jabuti Prize
1989
Work: Relato de um Certo Oriente (Tale of a Certain Orient)
Category: 最優秀長編小説
Organization: Brazilian book industry / Jabuti Prize committee
Result: Winner
Jabuti Prize
2000
Work: Dois Irmãos (Two Brothers)
Category: 最優秀長編小説
Organization: Brazilian book industry / Jabuti Prize committee
Result: Winner
Jabuti Prize
2005
Work: Cinzas do Norte (Ashes of the Amazon)
Category: 最優秀長編小説
Organization: Brazilian book industry / Jabuti Prize committee
Result: Winner
Portugal Telecom Prize for Literature
2005
Work: Cinzas do Norte (Ashes of the Amazon)
Organization: Portugal Telecom
Result: Winner
Bravo! Award
2005
Work: Cinzas do Norte (Ashes of the Amazon)
Organization: Bravo! (Brazil)
Result: Winner
APCA Award
2005
Work: Cinzas do Norte (Ashes of the Amazon)
Organization: São Paulo Association of Art Critics (APCA)
Result: Winner
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres — Officier
2017
Organization: French Ministry of Culture
Result: Recipient
São Paulo Prize for Literature
2009
Work: Órfãos do Eldorado (Orphans of Eldorado)
Category: 最優秀書籍（ファイナリスト）
Organization: São Paulo Prize committee
Result: Shortlisted

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Relato de um Certo Oriente (Tale of a Certain Orient)

1989 Novel (Fiction)

A novel about immigrants and family memory, portraying Arab-Brazilian communities and intertwined personal histories.

immigrationfamilymemory
Translations
  • Available in English

Dois Irmãos (Two Brothers)

2000 Novel (Family drama)

Centered on twin brothers, it explores family conflicts across generations set in Manaus.

family conflictmemoryregional society
Adaptations
  • [Comic] Two Brothers (comic) / Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá (2015)
  • [Television (miniseries)] Dois Irmãos (TV miniseries) / Luiz Fernando Carvalho (2017)
Translations
  • Translated into English, French, Spanish, Italian and others

Cinzas do Norte (Ashes of the Amazon)

2005 Novel

Interweaves political backdrop and family history to depict changes in the Amazon region and individuals' fates.

political critiqueregional changefamily
Translations
  • Translated into multiple languages

Órfãos do Eldorado (Orphans of Eldorado)

2008 Novel

An ensemble story set against isolated communities and the historical and social contexts of the Amazon.

isolationhistorycommunity
Adaptations
  • [Film] Orphans of Eldorado (film adaptation) (2015)
Translations
  • Translated into several languages

A Noite da Espera (The Night of Waiting)

2017 Novel

A work that returns to political memory and individual trajectories against the backdrop of the military regime.

political memorypersonal history

Ponto de Fuga

2019 Novel

Recent novel that continues themes of migration, belonging and memory.

belongingmemory

Bibliography

  • Relato de um Certo Oriente (Tale of a Certain Orient), 1989
  • Dois Irmãos (Two Brothers), 2000
  • Cinzas do Norte (Ashes of the Amazon), 2005
  • Órfãos do Eldorado (Orphans of Eldorado), 2008
  • A Noite da Espera (The Night of Waiting), 2017
  • Ponto de Fuga, 2019

Adaptations

  • Dois Irmãos: comic adaptation by Fábio Moon & Gabriel Bá (2015); TV miniseries directed by Luiz Fernando Carvalho (2017)
  • Órfãos do Eldorado: film adaptation (2015)

Translations of Works

  • Dois Irmãos: English, French, Spanish, Italian translations, etc.
  • Major works translated into Italian, Danish, Czech, Arabic, among others

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Lyrical, regionally inflected narrationLayered portrayal of family and memory
Recurring Motifs
immigrant identity and descendantsfamily rupture and reconciliationsocial and political change in the Amazon

Legacy

Milton Hatoum is one of Brazil's leading contemporary writers. Through themes of family, memory and immigration he depicts the Amazon region and Brazilian society. He is a multi-time Jabuti Prize winner, with translations and adaptations bringing his work international recognition.

Academic Societies

  • Brazilian Academy of Letters (Academia Brasileira de Letras)

In Popular Culture

  • Dois Irmãos was adapted into a comic and a TV miniseries, showing penetration into popular culture.

Trivia

  • Born to a Lebanese-Brazilian family.
  • Reportedly has sold over 200,000 copies of his books in Brazil.
  • Elected to Chair 6 of the Brazilian Academy of Letters in 2025.