María Kodama
Encyclopedia
María Kodama Schweitzer (born Buenos Aires
, March 10, 1937) is the widow of Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges
and sole owner of his estate
after his death in 1986. Borges had bequeathed to Kodama his rights as author in a will written in 1979, when she was his literary secretary, and bequeathed to her his whole estate
in 1985. They were married in 1986, shortly before the death of Borges.
Kodama is the daughter of a Japanese father and a German mother. She met Jorge Luis Borges
when she was a student, at one of his lectures in Buenos Aires on Icelandic literature
.
After the death in 1975 of Borges's ninety-nine-year-old mother, with whom he had lived all his life, Kodama became Borges’s literary secretary and had the opportunity—at the invitation of Borges's caretaker, "Fanny"—to assist him as a blind old man in his frequent travels abroad during his later years, when he received many invitations by institutions from around the world. Kodama helped Borges write, as he had lost his sight. She collaborated with him in Breve antología anglosajona (1978) and Atlas (1984, an account of their travels together) and in the translation of Younger Edda by Snorri Sturlson.
Kodama married Borges through representatives in a civil proceeding in Paraguay on April 26, 1986. This was a common practice for Argentines wishing to circumvent the restrictions on divorce in their country at the time, and Borges was already married once but since many years estranged from his first wife. At the time of the wedding Borges was terminally ill, and died of cancer in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 14, 1986.
She is president of the Fundación Internacional Jorge Luis Borges, which she founded in Buenos Aires
in 1988.
Kodama, being in control of the Borges estate, renegotiated the English translation rights of the complete works of Borges. In particular she cancelled and decided not to publish a translation project by Norman Thomas di Giovanni
that involved an agreement between the ailing Borges and di Giovanni that was unusually generous to di Giovanni in dividing royalties equally between author and translator. A new set of translations by Andrew Hurley
was comissioned and published under terms that did not disadvantage the Borges estate. These have become the standard translations in English.
Kodama's assertive administration the Borges estate also resulted in a bitter dispute with the French publisher Gallimard regarding the republication of the complete works of Borges in French, with Pierre Assouline
in Le Nouvel Observateur
(August 2006) calling her "an obstacle to the dissemination of the works of Borges." Kodama took legal action against Assouline, considering the remark unjustified and defamatory, asking for a symbolic compensation of one euro.
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, March 10, 1937) is the widow of Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo , known as Jorge Luis Borges , was an Argentine writer, essayist, poet and translator born in Buenos Aires. In 1914 his family moved to Switzerland where he attended school, receiving his baccalauréat from the Collège de Genève in 1918. The family...
and sole owner of his estate
Estate (law)
An estate is the net worth of a person at any point in time. It is the sum of a person's assets - legal rights, interests and entitlements to property of any kind - less all liabilities at that time. The issue is of special legal significance on a question of bankruptcy and death of the person...
after his death in 1986. Borges had bequeathed to Kodama his rights as author in a will written in 1979, when she was his literary secretary, and bequeathed to her his whole estate
Estate (law)
An estate is the net worth of a person at any point in time. It is the sum of a person's assets - legal rights, interests and entitlements to property of any kind - less all liabilities at that time. The issue is of special legal significance on a question of bankruptcy and death of the person...
in 1985. They were married in 1986, shortly before the death of Borges.
Kodama is the daughter of a Japanese father and a German mother. She met Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo , known as Jorge Luis Borges , was an Argentine writer, essayist, poet and translator born in Buenos Aires. In 1914 his family moved to Switzerland where he attended school, receiving his baccalauréat from the Collège de Genève in 1918. The family...
when she was a student, at one of his lectures in Buenos Aires on Icelandic literature
Icelandic literature
Icelandic literature refers to literature written in Iceland or by Icelandic people. It is best known for the sagas written in medieval times, starting in the 13th century. As Icelandic and Old Norse are almost the same, and because Icelandic works constitute most of Old Norse literature, Old Norse...
.
After the death in 1975 of Borges's ninety-nine-year-old mother, with whom he had lived all his life, Kodama became Borges’s literary secretary and had the opportunity—at the invitation of Borges's caretaker, "Fanny"—to assist him as a blind old man in his frequent travels abroad during his later years, when he received many invitations by institutions from around the world. Kodama helped Borges write, as he had lost his sight. She collaborated with him in Breve antología anglosajona (1978) and Atlas (1984, an account of their travels together) and in the translation of Younger Edda by Snorri Sturlson.
Kodama married Borges through representatives in a civil proceeding in Paraguay on April 26, 1986. This was a common practice for Argentines wishing to circumvent the restrictions on divorce in their country at the time, and Borges was already married once but since many years estranged from his first wife. At the time of the wedding Borges was terminally ill, and died of cancer in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 14, 1986.
She is president of the Fundación Internacional Jorge Luis Borges, which she founded in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
in 1988.
Kodama, being in control of the Borges estate, renegotiated the English translation rights of the complete works of Borges. In particular she cancelled and decided not to publish a translation project by Norman Thomas di Giovanni
Norman Thomas di Giovanni
Norman Thomas di Giovanni is an American-born editor and translator known for his collaboration with Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges.-Biography:...
that involved an agreement between the ailing Borges and di Giovanni that was unusually generous to di Giovanni in dividing royalties equally between author and translator. A new set of translations by Andrew Hurley
Andrew Hurley (academic)
Andrew Hurley is primarily known as an English translator of Spanish literature, having translated a variety of authors, most notably the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges....
was comissioned and published under terms that did not disadvantage the Borges estate. These have become the standard translations in English.
Kodama's assertive administration the Borges estate also resulted in a bitter dispute with the French publisher Gallimard regarding the republication of the complete works of Borges in French, with Pierre Assouline
Pierre Assouline
Pierre Assouline is a writer and journalist. He was born in Casablanca, Morocco. He has published several novels and biographies, and also contributes articles for the print media and broadcasts for radio....
in Le Nouvel Observateur
Le Nouvel Observateur
Le Nouvel Observateur is a weekly French newsmagazine. Based in Paris, it is the most prominent French general information magazine in terms of audience and circulation ....
(August 2006) calling her "an obstacle to the dissemination of the works of Borges." Kodama took legal action against Assouline, considering the remark unjustified and defamatory, asking for a symbolic compensation of one euro.