Heloísa Teixeira (26 July 1939 – 28 March 2025), formerly known as Heloísa Buarque de Hollanda, was a Brazilian writer, essayist, editor and literary critic whose research activity focused on the relationship between culture and development, particularly with regard to poetry, feminism, gender and ethnic relations, marginalized cultures, and digital culture.

Life and career

Teixeira was born in

Ribeirão Preto Ribeirão Preto (Portuguese pronunciation: Help:IPA/Portuguese, �ibejˈɾɐ̃w ˈpɾetu is a city and a metropolitan area located in the northeastern region of São Paulo (state), São Paulo state, Brazil. Ribeirão Preto is the eighth-la ...

on 26 July 1939. She graduated in classic literature at the

Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro The Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (; PUC-Rio) is a Jesuit, Catholic, pontifical university in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the joint responsibility of the Catholic Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro and the So ...

, had a master's degree and a doctorate in Brazilian literature from the

Federal University of Rio de Janeiro The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (, UFRJ) is a public university, public research university in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the largest federal university in the country and is one of the Brazilian centers of excellence in teaching and r ...

, where she was professor emerita of theory of culture, and a postgrad at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. In the 80s she was named director of Museu da Imagem e do Som do Rio de Janeiro by

Darcy Ribeiro Darcy Ribeiro (October 26, 1922 – February 17, 1997) was a Brazilian anthropologist, historian, sociologist, author and politician. His ideas have influenced several scholars of Brazilian and Latin American studies. As Minister of Educati ...

. Among the works she wrote or edited are the books ''26 poetas hoje'' (1975), an anthology of Brazilian underground poets from the mimeograph generation, and ''As 29 poetas hoje'' (2021), an anthology of women poets; the series ''Pensamento Feminista Hoje''; ''

Asdrúbal trouxe o trombone Asdrúbal Trouxe o Trombone is the name of a Brazilian theatrical group that operated in the 1970s with a comedic and anarchic style. History Until the middle of the 1970s, ''Asdrúbal trouxe o trombone ('') was just an code phrase between actres ...

– memórias de uma trupe solitária de comediantes que abalou os anos 70''; ''Rachel, Rachel''; ''Explosão Feminista''; ''Cultura e Participação nos anos 60''; and ''Pós-Modernismo e Política''. On 20 April 2023, she was elected as the 30th chair of the

Brazilian Academy of Letters The Academia Brasileira de Letras (ABL; English: ''Brazilian Academy of Letters'') is a Brazilian literary non-profit society established at the end of the 19th century. The first president, Machado de Assis, declared its foundation on Tuesday, ...

, succeeding

Nélida Piñon Nélida Piñon Nélida Piñon (3 May 1937 – 17 December 2022) was a Brazilian author and professor. At the time of her death, Piñon was "considered among the foremost writers in Brazil today". Life Nélida Cuiñas Piñon was born in 1937 in t ...

. She was the 10th woman in the history of the Academy to be elected.

Personal life and death

Teixeira was married twice – first to the lawyer and gallery owner Luiz Buarque de Hollanda, a relative of

Chico Buarque Francisco Buarque de Hollanda (born 19 June 1944), popularly known simply as Chico Buarque (), is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, composer, playwright, writer, and poet. He is best known for his music, which often includes social, econom ...

; she had three sons with him. Her second husband was the photographer João Carlos Horta; they were married for over 50 years, until Horta's death in 2020. In July 2023, Heloísa announced that she would reject the surname Buarque de Hollanda, and return to her maiden name Teixeira. In 2024, Teixeira was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Teixeira died in Rio de Janeiro on 28 March 2025, at the age of 85. She had been hospitalized with pneumonia. President Lula da Silva expressed his condolences upon her death. Actress

Fernanda Torres Fernanda Pinheiro Monteiro Torres (; born 15 September 1965) is a Brazilian actress and writer, known for both her comedic and dramatic roles. Born in Rio de Janeiro to actors Fernando Torres and Fernanda Montenegro, she has received numerous ...

also paid her respects to Teixeira.

References

External links

Personal page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Teixeira, Heloisa 1939 births 2025 deaths 20th-century Brazilian women writers 21st-century Brazilian women writers Academic staff of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Brazilian women editors Brazilian essayists Brazilian feminists Brazilian literary critics Brazilian women critics Brazilian women essayists Brazilian women literary critics Federal University of Rio de Janeiro alumni Members of the Brazilian Academy of Letters People from Ribeirão Preto Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro alumni