Jorge Amado
1912–2001 · Brazilian (Itabuna, Bahia) · 20th Century Brazilian Literature
Known for: Brazil's most famous novelist—Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon; Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands
Jorge Amado was a Communist in his youth (exiled and imprisoned), but his later novels are celebratory, sensual comedies of Bahian life—full of food, sex, Afro-Brazilian religion, and working-class characters. He was beloved in Brazil as a cultural hero. His novels have been translated into 49 languages.
He was deeply rooted in the multicultural culture of Bahia—the Afro-Brazilian heart of Brazil. He served in the Brazilian parliament and was nominated for the Nobel Prize repeatedly. He was warm, generous, and the ultimate celebrant of life's pleasures.
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