Carolina Maria de Jesus

Carolina Maria de Jesus was born in Sacramento, Minas Gerais, on March 14, 1914. In search of work, she traveled with her mother through several cities in the interior of São Paulo until settling in the capital in 1947. There, she began living in the Canindé slum, located in the northern part of São Paulo. On August 19, 1960, she published “Quarto de despejo”, a work in which she recounts her daily life as a paper picker and resident of Canindé. The book quickly became a publishing success. Part of her collection is in the care of the Moreira Salles Institute.