Maité Allamand (29 October 1911 – 3 January 1996) was a Chilean writer and diplomat. Born Jeanne Dominique Marie Therese Allamand Madaune to a French family based in Chile, she was an influential figure in the early development of

children's literature Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...

in that country. She was the director of the

PEN Club PEN International (known as International PEN until 2010) is a worldwide association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. The association has autonomous Internati ...

and a member of the

International Board on Books for Young People International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

(IBBY). She received several awards, including the 1962 Municipal Prize of Santiago in the short story category and the 1969 IBBY CRAV prize.

Biography

Maité Allamand spent her childhood in the countryside on the banks of the

Maule River The Maule river or Río Maule ( Mapudungun: ''rainy'') is one of the most important rivers of Chile. It is inextricably linked to the country's pre-Hispanic (Inca) times, the country's conquest, colonial period, wars of Independence, modern hi ...

, after her father's job transferred him there. This rural environment influenced her later work. In 1920 she enrolled in the Sacred Heart College of

Talca Talca () is a city and commune in Chile located about south of Santiago, and is the capital of both Talca Province and Maule Region (7th Region of Chile). As of the 2012 census, the city had a population of 201,142. The city is an important ...

, where she learned to speak and read

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

. After finishing her education, Allamand worked in the legation to

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, thanks to her mastery of

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

. She remained in this position from 1932 until 1940, when she married the doctor and researcher Luis Hervé.

Select bibliography

* 1933 - ''Cosas de campo'' * 1936 - ''Parvas viejas'' * 1944 - ''Renovales'' * 1950 - ''Alamito el Largo'' * 1960 - ''El funeral del diablo'' * 1966 - ''Huellas en la ciudad'' * 1969 - ''El sueño y la lumbre'' * 1974 - ''La niña de las trenzas de lana'' * 1991 - ''Cerrín que quería crecer'' * 1993 - ''El buzón colorado''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allamand, Maite 1911 births 1996 deaths Diplomats for Chile 20th-century Chilean novelists Chilean women novelists Chilean people of French descent Chilean women short story writers Chilean women children's writers Chilean children's writers Writers from Santiago, Chile 20th-century Chilean women writers Women diplomats for Chile