Ruth Guimarães

Ruth Guimarães Botelho was the first Afro-Brazilian author to gain a national audience and critical attention for her novels, short stories, and poetry. A classical scholar, she translated works from French, Italian and Spanish and studied Greek and Latin, though her works reflected fables, folklore, herbal medicines and legends of Afro-Brazil. She established several cultural preservation societies, served as head of the Ministry of Culture for Municipality of Cruzeiro, São Paulo, and was a member of the São Paulo Academy of Letters.