Ana Maria Machado

Ana Maria Machado (born December 24, 1941, in Rio de Janeiro) is a Brazilian writer renowned for her children's books, beginning her literary career in 1969 during the military dictatorship and opening Brazil's first children's bookstore, Malasartes, in 1979. International Literature Festival Berlin. Her works, blending magical realism, social satire, and playful narratives like the central book Bisa Bia, Bisa Bel (1982) and Menina Bonita do laço de fita, have sold millions and earned her the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 2000, the highest honor in children's literature. Hay Festival. She served as president of the Brazilian Academy of Letters (2012-2013) and continues to live in Rio de Janeiro.