Reinaldo Moraes

Reinaldo Moraes was born in São Paulo in 1950. Graduated in Management, he is a writer, translator and screenwriter.

His debut in literature took place in 1981, when he published »Tanto faz« (tr: Whatever), which today is considered an 80’s classic. »I think it (that finding him in these days) is the same as discovering Machado de Assis back in his time«, said the dramatist Mario Bortolotto in the postface of the edition published in 2003. The plot of sex and drugs was written in his »spare time« in Paris, where he was living to do a master in Economics. In fact, the conception of the book was done in between of his skipping classes and the bohemian life. Coincidentally, the protagonist of the novel wanders about the same city, to where he had moved after having obtained a scholarship. The book dragged the attention of many readers after its first unfavorable review, which made Moraes’s publishing house consider if the novel was affecting its image. Although the following reviews were positive, only two editions were released afterwards, both sold out. The work has been adapted to a film and a play. His next book, »Abacaxi« (1985, tr: Pineapple), wrote on demand, was a sales failure and worked as a sequence of »Tanto faz«. The novel shows the adventures of the protagonist through the cities of New York and Rio de Janeiro. In 2011, both books were re-edited and launched in a single volume. Subsequent to the release of his first novels, Moraes spent 17 years without having any book published. Instead, he worked as a freelancer writing screenplays, translating and doing adaptations, photography and institutional videos. In 2003, he launched the young-adult novel »A órbita dos caracóis« (tr: The snails’ orbit) and then his anthology »Umidade: Histórias» (2005, tr: Humidity: Stories) came out, composed of short stories initially published in literary magazines that mocked the medium class in São Paulo. For children, the author also wrote »Barata!« (2007, tr: Cockroach!). In 2009, Moraes published »Pornopopéia« (a neologism mixing the words »porn« and »epopee«), whereby he was one of the finalists of the Prêmio Portugal Telecom 2010. The bohemian saga perambulates through the underground scene in São Paulo, narrating the misfortunes of a screenwriter immersed in the drugs and libertinism underworld. The involving, inventive and good-humored narrative, which melds Standard Portuguese to a verbal language remarkably vulgar, placed the author in a prominent position within the contemporary Brazilian literature. The novel, which took five years to be concluded, is considered by the critics as the best book of the author.

Reinaldo Moraes currently lives in São Paulo.

Tanto Faz

Brasiliense

São Paulo, 1981

Abacaxi

L&PM

Porto Alegre, 1985

A Órbita dos Caracóis

Companhia das Letras

São Paulo, 2003

Barata!

[Ill.: Luli Penna]

Companhia das Letrinhas

São Paulo, 2007

Pornopopéia

Objetiva

São Paulo, 2009