Brazilian novelist João Ubaldo Ribeiro dies at 73

Writer João Ubaldo Ribeiro, 73 years old, died on Friday (Jul 18), from pulmonary embolism, at his home in Rio de Janeiro. He was a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters (“ABL”), and had held chair number 34 since 1994. Also a journalist and a political scientist, he penned over 20 books, published in 16 countries. He is also the writer of short-stories, crônicas, and essays.

Among his main works are Sergeant Getulio (1971), translated into 12 languages, An Invincible Memory (1989) and The Lizard's Smile (1989).

In 2008, João Ubaldo Ribeiro won the Camões Award, granted by the Portuguese and Brazilian governments to authors who contribute to the richness of the Portuguese language. Sergeant Getulio and An Invincible Memory earned him the Jabuti Award, from the Brazilian Book Chamber, one of the country's most prestigious prizes.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira