Fonseca, Rubem

Brazilian author, born in Juiz de Fora in Minas Gerais, but at the age of 7 moved to Rio de Janeiro. Fonseca gained a degree in Law at Rio de Janeiro’s federal university, UFRJ (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro). In 1952 he started a career in the police service, first as a patrolling police officer, advancing quickly in rank to eventually become police commissioner, one of the highest positions in the Brazilian police. In 1954 he returned to his studies and read Business Studies in the USA at New York University. In 1958 he was appointed the head of the PR-department of the police. He also worked as a lawyer, journalist, film critic and for electricity companies before devoting himself full-time to literature. Initially, he was known for his short stories, his reputation as a novelist coming later. In 1988 he was a writer-in-residence in West Germany.