Maria Valéria Rezende was born in Santos, São Paulo, in 1942, where she lived until she was seventeen years old. She received degrees in French language and literature and in pedagogy, and earned a master’s degree in sociology. She has lived in Paraíba for more than thirty years, dedicating herself to popular education, literature, and the training of readers and writers. Since 2001, she has published books of fiction and poetry for people of all ages, some of them awarded, some of them translated and published in other countries. She is a cofounder of and participant in the Clube do Conto da Paraíba. Author photo by Silvia Costanti.