Caio Fernando Abreu

Caio Fernando Loureiro de Abreu (September 12, 1948 – February 25, 1996), best known as Caio Fernando Abreu is one of the most influential and original Brazilian writers of the 70’s and 80’s generation. Caio F., as he habitually signed his letters, was born in Santiago do Boqueirão in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in 1948, and died in Porto Alegre in 1996.

Abreu studied at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul but abandoned academia before graduating to write for pop culture magazines such as Revista Nova, Revista Manchete, Revista Veja and Revista Pop. He was a prolific journalist and literary writer. He wrote short stories, novels, chronicles or crônicas, drama, and he also maintained throughout his life an extensive correspondence with other writers and artists, family and friends.

In 1968 Abreu was put on the wanted list by the DOPS or the Departamento de Ordem Política e Social, a repressive branch of the Brazilian government that operated during years when the repressive military regime was in power, but found refuge at the country estate of Brazilian writer Hilda Hilst, located near the city of Campinas, in state of São Paulo. During the early 70s he spent one year in self-exile in Europe, spending time in England, Sweden, France, Holland and in Spain.

In 1983 he relocated from his native Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, to the city of Rio de Janeiro; and in 1985 he moved to the city of São Paulo. Abreu then return again to France in 1994 where he found out that he was HIV positive. That same year he returned home to Porto Alegre permanently to live with his parents. He enjoyed gardening before passing away there two years later.