Maria Isabel Guerra Bastos Gonçalves, who used the pseudonym Isabel da Nóbrega (26 June 1925 – 2 September 2021), was a Portuguese writer, playwright, columnist, translator and radio broadcaster. On 9 June 2000, she was made a Grand-Officer of the

Order of Merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Edward VII, admission into the order r ...

. On 25 April 2011, she was made a Grand-Officer of the

Order of Liberty The Order of Liberty, or the Order of Freedom (), is a Portuguese honorific civil order that distinguishes relevant services to the cause of democracy and freedom, in the defense of the values of civilization and human dignity. The order was cr ...

Biography

Maria Isabel Guerra Bastos Gonçalves was born in Lisbon, on 26 June 1925. Her father was a doctor, and she was raised in a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

family. She died in

Estoril Estoril () is a town in the civil parish of Cascais e Estoril of the Portuguese Municipality of Cascais, on the Portuguese Riviera. It is a popular tourist destination, with hotels, beaches, and the Casino Estoril. It has been home to numero ...

on 2 September 2021.

Career

She adopted the pseudonym of Isabel da Nóbrega, and published several works, including plays, screenplays for film and television, novels, and other works under this name. She was a member of PEN Portugal, and the Portuguese Association of Writers. In 1974, she was one of the organizers of the 1st Portuguese Writers' Congress. Her first major published work was a novel, ''Os Anjos e os Homens'' (The Angels and Men) in 1952. It was followed by ''Viver com os outros'' (''Living with others'') in 1964, her best-known work. Her other books include ''Solo para gravador'' (1973), ''Cartas de Amor de Gente Famosa'' (2009). She also wrote a number of books for children, including ''Rama the Blue Elephant'' (1971). In 1954, her play ''O Filho Pródigo ou o Amor Difícil'' was produced at the Teatro Nacional D. Maria II by Rey Colaço-Robles Monteiro. Several of her other plays were also produced in Portugal, including ''A Cigarra e as Formiga''s (1971), and ''O Filho de Rama'' (1998). Isabel da Nóbrega translated a number of works into Portuguese, including Tolstoy's ''

War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, the work comprises both a fictional narrative and chapters in which Tolstoy discusses history and philosophy. An ...

'', ''Time to love, Time to die'' by

Erich Maria Remarque Erich Maria Remarque (; ; born Erich Paul Remark; 22 June 1898 – 25 September 1970) was a German novelist. His landmark novel '' All Quiet on the Western Front'' (1928), based on his experience in the Imperial German Army during World War ...

, and '' A Gun for Sale'' by

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a re ...

. She translated chiefly from French and English, including works by

Léon Bloy Léon Bloy (; 11 July 1846 – 3 November 1917) was a French Catholic novelist, essayist, pamphleteer (or lampoonist), and satirist, known additionally for his eventual (and passionate) defense of Catholicism and for his influence within Frenc ...

, Gilbert Cesbron,

Luigi Pirandello Luigi Pirandello (; ; 28 June 1867 – 10 December 1936) was an Italians, Italian dramatist, novelist, poet, and short story writer whose greatest contributions were his plays. He was awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his bold and ...

and E. Caldwell. She was a founding member and columnist for the newspaper, ''

A Capital ''A Capital'' (meaning ''The Capital ity' in English) was a Portuguese afternoon newspaper published in Lisbon, Portugal, between 1968 and 2005. History and profile ''A Capital'' was first published on 21 February 1968. The paper was establ ...

'', and wrote columns for

Diário de Lisboa The ''Diário de Lisboa'' was a daily evening newspaper published in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon between 1921 and 1990. History The newspaper was founded on 7 April 1921 by Joaquim Manso, who ran it until he died in 1956. He was succeeded b ...

Diário de Notícias () is a Portuguese weekly newspaper published in Lisbon, Portugal. Established since 1864, the paper is considered a newspaper of record for Portugal. History and profile ''Diário de Notícias'' was first published in Lisbon on 29 December 1 ...

, and Primeiro de Janeiro. She broadcast two programs for RDP Internacional, Portugal's national broadcasting service: 'O Prazer de Ler' and 'Largo do Pelourinho'. She also presented radio programs on radio channels, Antena 1 and Antena 2 titled ''Conversar, conviver'' and ''Clarabóia.'' Some of her columns were collected and published in a book titled ''Quadratim I'' (1976).

Personal life

Isabel da Nóbrega was initially in a relationship with cardiologist Abreu Loureiro. After they separated, for several years, she was in a relationship with critic and writer João Gaspar Simões, and his 1975 novel, ''The Hands and the Gloves'', is reportedly an account of their relationships, in which he compares her to

Madame Bovary ''Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners'' (; ), commonly known as simply ''Madame Bovary'', is the début novel by France, French writer Gustave Flaubert, originally published in 1856 and 1857. The eponymous character, Emma Bovary, lives beyond he ...

. It was published shortly after the end of their affair, when she went to live with

José Saramago José de Sousa Saramago (; 16 November 1922 – 18 June 2010) was a Portuguese people, Portuguese writer. He was the recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature for his "parables sustained by imagination, compassion and irony [with which ...

. She was later in a relationship for twenty years with writer

, who initially dedicated two of his novels to her: ''O Ano da Morte de Ricardo Reis'' (1984), and ''Memorial do Convento'' (1985). He later removed the dedications from subsequent editions after their relationship ended. She was a close friend of writers Natália Correia and Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen. Her sister Maria Teresa Guerra Bastos Gonçalves, known as :pt:Tareka, Tareka, was an actress.

Awards

Isabel da Nóbrega won several awards during her career, including: * 1965 - Camilo Castelo Branco Prize for her novel, ''Viver com os outros'' (''Living with others'') * Children's and Youth Literature Award * Career Consecration Award of the Portuguese Society of Authors * The Femina Prize for Merit in Literature. * 2000 - Ordem do Mérito (Order of Merit, Portugal) * 2008 - Career Consecration Award from the Society of Portuguese Authors * 2011 - Ordem do Liberdade (Order of Liberty, Portugal)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nobrega, Isabel da 1925 births 2021 deaths Writers from Lisbon 20th-century Portuguese writers Grand Officers of the Order of Liberty Grand Officers of the Order of Merit (Portugal) 20th-century Portuguese women writers 21st-century Portuguese writers 21st-century Portuguese women writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers 21st-century pseudonymous writers Pseudonymous women writers