Juan José Morosoli

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Juan José Morosoli (January 19, 1899 – December 29, 1957) was a Uruguayan writer known for his simple, powerful short stories. His best-known work is Perico, a collection for children published in 1947, which includes the stories "Arenero" and "La Querencia Olvidada."

Morosoli was born in Minas, Lavalleja, Uruguay. His father was a Swiss immigrant who worked as a bricklayer. Because his family was poor, he left school after the second grade and taught himself. At nine, he began working in his uncle’s bookstore, first as a courier and later as a shop assistant. In 1920 he opened a café in Montevideo with two partners.

From 1923 he wrote for several newspapers, including La Unión (Minas), Marcha, Mundo Uruguayo, and El Día (Montevideo). He also wrote theater plays between 1923 and 1928. He published his first poems in 1925 in the book Balbuceos. In 1928 he helped publish Bajo la misma sombra, a poetry book with other writers, and released Los Juegos.

Morosoli mainly wrote short stories about ordinary people living near towns, showing their inner strengths. His first short-story book, Hombres (1932; second edition 1942), established his reputation. He later produced many works such as Los albañiles de "Los Tapes," Hombres y mujeres, Muchachos, Perico, and Vivientes.

He died in Minas on December 29, 1957. After his death, Tierra y tiempo (1959) and Viaje hacia el mar (1959) were published; the latter inspired a film by Guillermo Casanova. In 1991 the Lolita Rubial Foundation created prizes in his memory in Minas.