Manuel Mujica Lainez
Manuel Mujica Lainez was an influential Argentine writer born on September 11, 1910, in Buenos Aires. He came from a legal background, with his father working as a lawyer, and he pursued his education at the Escuela Nacional de San Isidro and later at the University of Buenos Aires, where he studied law. Mujica Lainez began his literary career with his first novel, *Don Galaz de Buenos Aires*, published in 1938, and gained significant acclaim through his collections of short stories, such as *Aquí vivieron* and *Misteriosa Buenos Aires*. His notable works include the *Saga of Buenos Aires* and the celebrated novel *Bomarzo*, which was adapted into an opera. Throughout his career, he held various positions, including at the prestigious newspaper *La Nacion* and in cultural roles within the Argentine government. He was also a commander in the Argentine navy. Mujica Lainez received several prestigious literary awards, including the Grand Prize of Honor for Literature from the Argentine Society of Writers and the John Kennedy Prize for *Bomarzo*. He passed away on April 21, 1984, in Cruz Chica, Cordoba, leaving a lasting legacy in Argentine literature.
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Manuel Mujica Lainez
- Born: September 11, 1910
- Birthplace: Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Died: April 21, 1984
- Place of death: Cruz Chica, Cordoba, Argentina
Biography
Manuel Mujica Lainez was born on September 11, 1910, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His father, Manuel, was lawyer, and his mother’s name was Lucia. He married Ana Maria de Alvear on November 5, 1936, and they had three children. He attended the Escuela Nacional de San Isidro, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and received his B.A. in 1928. He went on to study law at the University of Buenos Aires from 1928 to 1930. He also served as the vice president of the Argentine Society of Writers.
Mujica Lainez was a staff member at La Nacion, a Buenos Aires daily newspaper from 1932 to 1968. He was the secretary for the National Museum of Decorative Arts from 1935 to 1945, and the general director of cultural relations at the Argentina Ministry of Foreign Relations from 1955 to 1958. Mujica Lainez also served in Argentine navy, attaining the rank of commander. He died on April 21, 1984, in Cruz Chica, Cordoba, Argentina.
Mujica Lainez’s first novel, Don Galaz de Buenos Aires, was published in 1938. His work became well known with the publication of two collections of short stories, Aquí vivieronin 1949, and Misteriosa Buenos Airesin 1951. He also achieved recognition for the four novels in his Saga of Buenos Aires series. His 1962 novel, Bomarzo, was made into an opera by Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera.
Mujica Lainez received the Argentine Society of Writers Grand Prize of Honor for Literature in 1955. He also received the Grand National Prize of Honor for Literature in 1962, and the First National Prize of Letters in 1963. In 1964, he received the John Kennedy Prize for Bomarzo.