Bartolomeu Campos de Queirós: Brazil Author

Today I try to ensure that my writing is literature without fixed boundaries. And that is my aim. I want my literature to reach out to children, but I also want it to be enjoyable reading for adults.

Bartolomeu Campos de Queirós

Bartolomeu Campos de Queirós was born in Minas Gerais in 1944 and graduated from Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil with a degree in Philosophy. He also specialized in Art/Education at Institut Pedagogique National de Paris, France. He began to publish his books in the 1970s and hasn't stopped since then. His work consists of approximately 50 publications of both prose and poetry directed toward children and young adults, some of which have been translated into other languages. In Brazil his work ranks among Brazilian classics for children and young people.

Based on Campos de Queirós' outlook on childhood and life in general, his work is quite universal, touching on themes that are common to all humanity. Topics such as life and death, the passing of time, childhood, and children's relationships with the adult world are dealt with in a sensitive and unique manner. Due to Campos de Queirós' finely tuned word choice and the construction of his sentences, his texts are easily accessible to children of all ages. He knows how to create and play with words, providing them with the best rhythm. He has a gift for making words come to life so that even adolescents who sometimes think that "reading is boring" become engrossed in books.

Bartolomeu Campos de Queirós is the winner of numerous national and international awards. More studies have been published about his work than about any other Brazilian author of children's literature. The IV Edition of Iberoamerican SM Prize for Children's and Young Adults Literature was given to him in 2008. My Grandfather's Glass Eye (O olho de vidro do meu avô) is considered to be one of his most important titles. This book, with awards that include the Jabuti Award, the Nestlé National Award for Literature and The Best for Young People Award, centers on a grandfather's view of the world, life, and life beyond the world-- "intimate life, the life of the souls, relationships, and emotions." His books invite readers to discover that happiness can be found in each of the minute details of life.