Adonias Filho
Encyclopedia
Adonias Aguiar Filho is a writer and novelist from Bahia, Brazil. Member of the Academia Brasileira de Letras
.
In 1936, 2 years after finishing high school in Salvador, he moved from the south of Bahia
to Rio de Janeiro
, Brazil
’s capital at the time, where he continued his career in Journalism
, previously started in Salvador. He worked in renowned newspapers such as Correio da Manhã
as well as a literary critic
for Cadernos da "Hora Presente", from São Paulo
em 1937, "A Manhã", from 1944 to 1945, besides "Jornal de Letras" (from 1955 to 1960) and "Diário de Notícias" (1958 to 1960). In São Paulo, he also collaborated with O Estado de S. Paulo
and "Folha da Manhã".
Between 1946 and 1950, he ran the book publishing company "A Noite". He was the director of the Serviço Nacional de Teatro, in 1954, and director of the Biblioteca Nacional from 1961 to 1971. At the same time, he worked at the Agência Nacional at the Ministério da Justiça.
In 1966 he was elected vice-president of the Associação Brasileira de Imprensa and in the following year, member of the Conselho Federal de Cultura. He was re-elected in 1969, 1971 and 1973. He was the presidente of the Associação Brasileira de Imprensa in 1972 and president of the Conselho Federal de Cultura from 1977 to 1990, when he died.
As a writer
, Adonias Aguiar Filho searched for inspiration for his fiction in the "zona cacaueira" (Cocoa plantations) close to Ilhéus
, back to his origins in the South of Bahia
, where he was born and raised. This ambiance is noticed soon in his first novel, "Os servos da morte", published in 1946. In the romance novel
, that reality served as an opportunity to recreate a world charged with symbolism, in the book passages as well as in the characters, bearing a tragic sense to life and the view of the world. He was part of the Grupo Festa.
The use of original and sophisticated resources, adapted to the internal violence of his characters gave Adonias Filho a fundamental role at the Literature group that created the 3rd phase of Brazilian Modernism in 1945, which was based in a return to certain more formal disciplines of writing. They were concerned about writing, on one hand, using less formal research of language
, though trying to expand their regional meanings to a universal paradigm. Their work is still an integral influence in contemporary Brazil
ian literature
and fiction
.
He was honored with the 21st chair at the Brazilian Academy of Letters (Academia Brasileira de Letras
) at the age of 53, May 23, 1969. The title was handed to him by his fellow writer also from Bahia, Jorge Amado
. His literary work was translated to English
, German
, Spanish
, French
and Slovac.
He died in Ilhéus shortly after his wife died.
Fifth bearer of the 21st Chair, originally given to Joaquim Serra from the Academia Brasileira de Letras
, elected January 14, 1965.
Preceded by Álvaro Moreyra |
Followed by Dias Gomes
Academia Brasileira de Letras
Academia Brasileira de Letras is a Brazilian literary non-profit society established at the end of the 19th century by a group of 40 writers and poets inspired by the Académie Française. The first president, Machado de Assis, declared its foundation on December 15, 1896, with the statutes being...
.
Life
Filho was born in Itajuípe, Brazil, the son of Adonias Aguiar and Rachel Bastos de Aguiar.In 1936, 2 years after finishing high school in Salvador, he moved from the south of Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
’s capital at the time, where he continued his career in Journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, previously started in Salvador. He worked in renowned newspapers such as Correio da Manhã
Correio da Manhã
Correio da Manhã is a major daily Portuguese newspaper , published in Lisbon. It is published by the publishing division of the Cofina group.It is regarded as the most read general newspaper in the country....
as well as a literary critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
for Cadernos da "Hora Presente", from São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
em 1937, "A Manhã", from 1944 to 1945, besides "Jornal de Letras" (from 1955 to 1960) and "Diário de Notícias" (1958 to 1960). In São Paulo, he also collaborated with O Estado de S. Paulo
O Estado de S. Paulo
O Estado de S. Paulo is a daily newspaper published in the Metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil, and distributed mainly nationally. It is owned by Grupo Estado, a holding company which publishes the Jornal da Tarde and owns the radios Rádio Eldorado AM and FM and the Agência Estado, largest...
and "Folha da Manhã".
In 1966 he was elected vice-president of the Associação Brasileira de Imprensa and in the following year, member of the Conselho Federal de Cultura. He was re-elected in 1969, 1971 and 1973. He was the presidente of the Associação Brasileira de Imprensa in 1972 and president of the Conselho Federal de Cultura from 1977 to 1990, when he died.
As a writer
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, Adonias Aguiar Filho searched for inspiration for his fiction in the "zona cacaueira" (Cocoa plantations) close to Ilhéus
Ilhéus
Ilhéus is a major city located in the southern coastal region of Bahia, Brazil, 430 km south of Salvador, the state's capital. The city was originally founded in 1534 as Vila de São Jorge dos Ilhéus and is known as one of the most important tourism centers of the northeast of Brazil.The...
, back to his origins in the South of Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
, where he was born and raised. This ambiance is noticed soon in his first novel, "Os servos da morte", published in 1946. In the romance novel
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
, that reality served as an opportunity to recreate a world charged with symbolism, in the book passages as well as in the characters, bearing a tragic sense to life and the view of the world. He was part of the Grupo Festa.
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
, though trying to expand their regional meanings to a universal paradigm. Their work is still an integral influence in contemporary Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
and fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
.
Academia Brasileira de Letras
Academia Brasileira de Letras is a Brazilian literary non-profit society established at the end of the 19th century by a group of 40 writers and poets inspired by the Académie Française. The first president, Machado de Assis, declared its foundation on December 15, 1896, with the statutes being...
) at the age of 53, May 23, 1969. The title was handed to him by his fellow writer also from Bahia, Jorge Amado
Jorge Amado
Jorge Leal Amado de Faria was a Brazilian writer of the Modernist school. He was the best-known of modern Brazilian writers, his work having been translated into some 49 languages and popularized in film, notably Dona Flor and her Two Husbands in 1978...
. His literary work was translated to English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Slovac.
He died in Ilhéus shortly after his wife died.
Academia Brasileira de Letras
Fifth bearer of the 21st Chair, originally given to Joaquim Serra from the Academia Brasileira de Letras
Academia Brasileira de Letras
Academia Brasileira de Letras is a Brazilian literary non-profit society established at the end of the 19th century by a group of 40 writers and poets inspired by the Académie Française. The first president, Machado de Assis, declared its foundation on December 15, 1896, with the statutes being...
, elected January 14, 1965.
Preceded by Álvaro Moreyra |
Followed by Dias Gomes
Dias Gomes
Alfredo de Freitas Dias Gomes was an important Brazilian playwright.He was born on October 19, 1922 in Salvador, Bahia and died in a car accident in São Paulo, in 1999. He started writing plays at age 15 and later wrote soap operas. He wrote the first ever colored soap opera in Brazilian...
Awards
Adonias Filho was awarded:- Prêmio Paula Brito de crítica literária (Guanabara, 1968), for the book "Léguas da promissão",
- Golfinho de Ouro de Literatura (1968),
- Prêmio PEN Clube do Brasil,
- Prêmio da Fundação Educacional do Paraná (FUNDEPAR)
- Prêmio do Instituto Nacional do Livro (1968–1969)
- Prêmio Brasília de Literatura (1973), from Fundação Cultural do Distrito Federal.
- Premio Nacional de LiteraturaPremio Nacional de LiteraturaA number of countries offer a National Prize for Literature :* National Prize for Literature * National Prize for Literature * National Prize for Literature...
(1975), from Instituto Nacional do Livro, in the category published work (1974–1975), with the romance novelRomance novelThe romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
"As velhas", and - Title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the Universidade Federal da BahiaUniversidade Federal da BahiaThe Universidade Federal da Bahia is a public university located mainly in the city of Salvador. The largest university of the State of Bahia, and one of the most prestigious Brazilian universities.Students can study there without having to pay tuition fees, as it is a public university...
, in 1983.