Silvina Ocampo

Silvina Ocampo

Argentine poet and writer
Date of Birth: 28.07.1903
Country: Argentina

Content:
  1. Biography of Silvina Ocampo
  2. Early Life and Education
  3. Artistic Influences
  4. Marriage and Family
  5. Literary Career
  6. Collaborations and Achievements
  7. Legacy

Biography of Silvina Ocampo

Silvina Ocampo Aguirre, an Argentine poet and writer, was born on July 28, 1903, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was the youngest of six children of Manuel Ocampo and Ramona Aguirre and received education from private tutors. One of her sisters, Victoria Ocampo, was the publisher of the prestigious Argentine literary magazine 'Sur'.

Silvina Ocampo

Early Life and Education

Silvina Ocampo was born on July 28, 1903, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was the youngest of six children and received her education from private tutors. Her sister, Victoria Ocampo, was a renowned publisher and influential figure in the Argentine literary scene.

Silvina Ocampo

Artistic Influences

Ocampo studied drawing in Paris under the guidance of Giorgio de Chirico, an Italian artist closely associated with surrealism. This experience played a significant role in shaping her artistic style and later influenced her writing.

Marriage and Family

In 1940, Ocampo married the Argentine writer Adolfo Bioy Casares, whom she had been in a relationship with since 1933 when Casares was only 19 years old. In 1954, Silvina adopted a child, Marta Bioy Ocampo, who tragically died in a car accident three weeks after Silvina's death, leaving behind two children.

Literary Career

As a writer, Silvina Ocampo began with a collection of short stories titled 'Viaje olvidado' ('Forgotten Journey') in 1937. She went on to publish three poetry books, 'Enumeración de la patria', 'Espacios métricos', and 'Los sonetos del jardín'. Her poetry collection 'Espacios métricos', published in 1942 by the 'Sur' publishing house, won the municipal prize in 1954. Ocampo also achieved recognition in the field of folk poetry, winning second place in the national poetry competition in 1952 for her work 'Los nombres'. She later won the competition in 1962 with her poetry collection 'Lo amargo por dulce' ('Bitter as Sweet').

Collaborations and Achievements

Silvina Ocampo collaborated with her husband Adolfo Bioy Casares on the work 'Los que aman, odian' ('Those Who Love, Hate'). She also collaborated with Juan Rodolfo Wilcock on the play 'Los Traidores' ('The Traitors') in 1956. Ocampo, Casares, and Jorge Luis Borges co-authored the Anthology of Fantastic Literature in 1940, and a year later, Ocampo co-edited the Anthology of Argentine Poetry.

Legacy

After the deaths of Silvina Ocampo and her husband Adolfo Bioy Casares, the Argentine court handed over all their belongings to another illegitimate child of Casares, Fabián. With the passing of Fabián in February 2006, it is likely that many documents and manuscripts of both writers may soon become available to scholars.

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