Rubem Fonseca (May 11, 1925 – April 15, 2020) was a Brazilian writer. Life and career He was born in Juiz de Fora, in the state of Minas Gerais, but he lived most of his life in Rio de Janeiro. In 1952, he started his career as a low-level cop and, later became a police commissioner, one of the highest ranks in the civil police of Brazil. Following the steps of American novelist Thomas Pynchon, a close friend of Fonseca, he refused to give interviews and felt strongly about maintaining his privacy. His stories are dark and gritty, filled with violence and sexual content, and usually set in an urban environment. He claimed a writer should have the courage to show what most people are afraid to say. His work is considered groundbreaking in Brazilian literature , up until then mostly focused on rural settings and usually treating cities with less interest. Almost all Brazilian contemporary writers acknowledge Fonseca's importance. Authors from the rising generation of Brazilian writers, such as Patrícia Melo or Luiz Ruffato, have stated that Fonseca's writing has influenced their work. He started his career by writing short stories, considered by some critics as his strongest literary creations. His first popular novel was A Grande Arte (High Art), but "Agosto" is usually considered his best work. One recurring character in Fonseca's books is the lawyer-detective Mandrake. In 2003, he won the Camões Prize, considered to be the most important award in the Portuguese language. In 2012 he became the first recipient of Chile's Manuel Rojas Ibero-American Narrative Award. He died in Rio de Janeiro in April 2020 at the age of 94 just 26 days before his 95th birthday Bibliography Brazilian editions Novels and novellas O Caso Morel (1973) A Grande Arte (1983) Bufo & Spallanzani (1986) Vastas Emoções e Pensamentos Imperfeitos (1988) Agosto (1990) O Selvagem da Ópera (1994) Do Meio do Mundo Prostituto Só Amores Guardei ao Meu Charuto (1997, novella) O doente Molière (2000, novella) Diário de um Fescenino (2003) Mandrake: A Bíblia e a Bengala (2005, novella) O Seminarista (2009) José (2011) Short story collections and anthologies Os Prisioneiros (1963) A Coleira do Cão (1965) Lúcia McCartney (1967) Feliz Ano Novo (1975) O Homem de Fevereiro ou Março (1973) O Cobrador (1979) Romance Negro e Outras Histórias (1992) Contos Reunidos (1994) O Buraco na Parede (1995) Romance Negro, Feliz Ano Novo e Outras