| Guillermo Meneses | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 December 1911 Caracas, Venezuela |
| Died | 28 December 1978 (aged 67) Porlamar, Nueva Esparta |
| Signature | |
Guillermo Meneses (Caracas, 15 December 1911 - Porlamar, Nueva Esparta, 29 December 1978), Venezuelan writer, playwright, journalist, author of La Balandra 'Isabel' llegó esta tarde and Campeones, among other works.
Were his parents, Olegario Meneses Díez and Matilde Amitesarove Lopéz-Méndez; Meneses was raised by his father and his aunt Gertrudis Amitesarove, a distinguished educator. Attended primary school at the Chaves School and the San Pablo Institute, received his high school degree at the San Ignacio de Loyola School of Caracas. His passion for literature is expressed from early age, collaborating as writer at the Élite magazine from 1930.
In 1934, the Association of Writers of Venezuela publishes his first short story, La Balandra Isabel llegó esta tarde, written when he was sixteen. In 1935, graduates as Doctor in Political and Juridical Sciences at the Central University of Venezuela. Combines his professional activities with the literary work. Worked as General Solicitor of Miranda state, prosecutor of the Public Ministry in Guárico, judge in the criminal court of Anzoátegui and raporter of the Supreme Court of Guárico.
In the 1940s, continued contributing in important newspapers and publications of Venezuela and Latin America, some of them, the National Magazine of Culture (from 1941), El Nacional (from 1945) and the Magazine of America, Bogotá, 1946. In 1948 following the coup d´etat that overthrown President Rómulo Gallegos, Meneses along with his family, exiles in Bogotá, working for the Colombian magazine "Sábado".
Winner of the short story competition of "Elite" magazine, with Campeones in 1939, published three years later, El mestizo José Vargas, La mujer, el As de Oros y la Luna in 1948, and La mano junto al muro, 1951. Also, was second secretary of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, commissioned to Paris (1948–1953), Chargé d' Affaires of the Embassy of Venezuela in Brussels (1953–1957) and at the Embassy of Venezuela in Paris (1957–1959).
Winner of the "Arístides Rojas Prize" in 1952, with El Falso Cuaderno de Narciso Espejo, worked from 1954, at the Papel Literario of El Nacional, and was Director of the Élite magazine. In 1963, received the Municipal Prize of Prose for the novel La Misa de Arlequín. In 1964, was appointed as director of the magazine of the Municipal Council of Caracas, "Crónica de Caracas" (Caracas Chronicles).
During his life, wrote with the pseudonyms “Juan de Caracas” and “José de las Gradillas”. Was author of Libro de Caracas (1967), and official historian of Caracas from 1965 until his death. Guillermo Meneses was awarded with the Venezuelan National Prize for Literature in 1967, the "Order of the city of Caracas", "Andrés Bello Order", created by President Rafael Caldera, among other recognitions.
Guillermo Meneses was married for twenty years (1944–1964) to journalist and art promoter Sofía Ímber. With her, traveled to Europe as member of the Venezuelan diplomatic corps, establishing relationship with a group of Venezuelan artists, under the name of Los Disidentes (The Dissidents), some of them Jesus Soto, Mateo Manaure, Narciso Deburg, and European artists such as Herbin, Vasarely, Arp, among others.