Gilka Machado: Pioneering Brazilian Erotic Poet and Suffragist
Born on March 12, 1893, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Gilka da Costa de Mello Machado made waves in society with her book 'Cristais Partidos,' which was released on December 31, 1915. Her provocative poetry, published in Fon-Fon and Revista da Semana, drew scorn from Afrânio Peixoto, who branded her a 'matrona imoral' in 1916. As the granddaughter of Francisco Moniz Barreto, Machado confronted both racist and sexist backlash. Despite facing discrimination linked to her Black heritage and her mother’s lineage, she was an advocate for women's rights and co-founded the Partido Republicano Feminino in 1910. Valued by Lima Barreto and later acknowledged by Mário de Andrade, she declined assistance from Olavo Bilac, preferring to engage with the public on her own terms. Her writings highlighted issues of poverty and governmental neglect.
Key facts
- Gilka Machado's first book 'Cristais Partidos' was printed December 31, 1915.
- Critic Afrânio Peixoto denounced her as a 'matrona imoral' in 1916.
- She was a founding member of the Partido Republicano Feminino in 1910.
- Machado was born March 12, 1893, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- She was the granddaughter of humorist Francisco Moniz Barreto.
- Writer Lima Barreto praised her independence and audacity in a 1915 letter.
- She refused a preface from poet Olavo Bilac for 'Cristais Partidos.'
- Machado was the only female contributor to the erotic magazine A Maçã.
Entities
Artists
- Gilka da Costa de Mello Machado
- Gilka Machado
- Francisco Moniz Barreto
- Afrânio Peixoto
- Lima Barreto
- Mário de Andrade
- Olavo Bilac
- Cecília Meireles
- Tasso da Silveira
- Andrade Muricy
- Agripino Griecco
- Humberto de Campos
- Osório Duque Estrada
Institutions
- Partido Republicano Feminino
- Fon-Fon
- Revista da semana
- A Maçã
- Festa
- O Estado de S. Paulo
Locations
- Rio de Janeiro
- Brazil
- Bahia