Aquiles Nazoa


Aquiles Nazoa was a Venezuelan writer, journalist, poet and humorist. His work expressed the values of popular Venezuelan culture.

Career

He worked in the newspaper El Universal as a packer, later becoming a proof-reader. He had also begun to read English and French which allowed him to work simultaneously as a tourist guide in the Museo de Bellas Artes. He became the correspondent of El Universal in Puerto Cabello and was arrested in 1940 for defamation and slanderous allegations when criticising the Municipal authorities.
He worked in Tropical Radio, had a column in El Universal entitled Punta de lanza, and was reporter for the newspaper Últimas Noticias. He collaborated in the weekly magazine El Morrocoy Azul and the newspaper El [Nacional (Caracas)|El Nacional]. He wrote for the Colombian magazine, Sábado and lived a year in Cuba. In 1945, he became editor of the magazine Fantoches. In 1956, he was expelled from the country by the regime of Marcos Pérez Jiménez, but returned in 1958.
In 1948, Nazoa obtained the Premio Nacional de Periodismo in the
humour and customs section. He was also awarded the Premio Municipal de Literatura del Distrito Federal in 1967.
He died in an automobile accident between Caracas and Valencia.

Published works

  • Caperucita criolla, 1955
  • Poesía para colorear, 1958
  • El burro flautista, 1958
  • Los dibujos de Leo, 1959
  • Caballo de manteca, 1960
  • Los poemas, 1961
  • Cuba de Martí a Fidel Castro, 1961
  • Mientras el palo va y viene, 1962
  • Poesías costumbristas, humorísticas y festivas, 1963
  • Pan y circo, 1965
  • Los humoristas de Caracas, 1966
  • Caracas física y espiritual, 1967
  • Historia de la música contada por un oyente, 1968
  • Humor y amor de Aquiles Nazoa, 1969
  • Retrato hablado de matapalo,1970
  • Venezuela suya, 1971
  • Los sin cuenta usos de la electricidad, 1973
  • Gusto y regusto de la cocina venezolana, 1973
  • Vida privada de las muñecas de trapo, 1975
  • Raúl Santana con un pueblo en el bolsillo, 1976
  • Genial e Ingenioso: La obra literaria y gráfica del gran artista caraqueño Leoncio Martínez, 1976
  • Aquiles y la Navidad, 1976

Trivia

  • In 2005 Ildemaro Torres made a biographical book about the life of Aquiles Nazoa, for the Biblioteca Biográfica Venezolana, with the seal of El Nacional.