José Mauro de Vasconcelos
José Mauro de Vasconcelos was a Brazilian author born in 1920 to a poor family in Rio de Janeiro.
He had a diverse career, working as a boxing instructor, painter's model, fisherman, and teacher before becoming a writer at age 22.
Vasconcelos drew from his own childhood experiences in his most famous novel, My Sweet Orange Tree.
His unique writing process involved extensive research of settings and mentally crafting entire stories before putting pen to paper.
Vasconcelos was also an actor, winning several awards for his performances in Brazilian films.
His novels Arara Vermelha and Vazante were adapted into movies.
