Machado de Assis, Joaquim Maria, 1839-1908, Brazilian novelist, b. Rio de Janeiro. The grandson of African slaves, he was educated by a priest and became a typesetter, a proofreader, and finally a journalist. His poetry, plays, and short stories were well received, but his reputation as the greatest of Brazilian writers rests upon his realistic novels. His major novels are Memórias póstumas de Brás Cubas (1881, tr. Epitaph of a Small Winner, 1952, The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas, 1998), Quincas Borba (1891, tr. Philosopher or Dog?, 1954, 1998), and Dom Casmurro (1900, tr. 1953, 1998). They are distinguished by psychological insight, a lack of illusions, a profound awareness of social conditions, and a dark humor, and their objective attitude stands in sharp contrast to the prevalent romantic tendency of the time. His pessimistic view of life is impelled by irony and a profound cynicism.

The Prêmio Machado de Assis (the Machado de Assis Prize) is a literary prize awarded by the Brazilian Academy of Letters, and possibly the most prestigious literary award in Brazil. The prize was founded in 1941, named in memory of the novelist Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis (1839–1908). It is awarded in recognition of a lifetime's work.

Winners

• 2006 - César Leal
• 2005 - Ferreira Gullar
• 2004 - Francisco de Assis Brasil
• 2003 - Antonio Carlos Villaça
• 2002 - Wilson Martins
• 2001 – Ana Maria Machado
• 2000 – Antônio Torres
• 1999 – Fernando Sabino
• 1998 – Joel Silveira
• 1997 – J.J. Veiga
• 1996 – Carlos Heitor Cony
• 1995 – Leodegário A. de Azevedo Filho
• 1994 – Antônio Olinto
• 1993 – Antonio Candido
• 1992 – Fausto Cunha
• 1991 – Maria Clara Machado
• 1990 – Sábato Magaldi
• 1989 – Gilberto Mendonça Teles
• 1988 – Dante Milano
• 1987 – Nilo Pereira
• 1986 – Péricles Eugênio da Silva Ramos
• 1985 – Thales de Azevedo
• 1984 – Henriqueta Lisboa
• 1983 – Paulo Rónai
• 1982 – Franklin de Oliveira
• 1981 – Ayres da Matta Machado Filho
• 1980 – Mário Quintana
• 1979 – Gilka Machado
• 1978 – Carolina Nabuco
• 1977 – Raul Bopp
• 1976 – Mario da Silva Brito
• 1975 – Hermes Lima
• 1974 – Waldemar Cavalcanti
• 1973 – Andrade Murici
• 1972 – Dalcídio Jurandir
• 1971 – Murillo Araujo
• 1970 – Octavio de Faria
• 1969 – Edilson Carneiro
• 1968 – Oscar Mendes
• 1967 – Adelino Magalhães
• 1966 – Lucio Cardoso
• 1965 – Cecília Meireles
• 1964 – Joracy Camargo
• 1963 – Gilberto Freyre
• 1962 – Antenor Nascentes
• 1961 – João Guimarães Rosa
• 1960 – not awarded
• 1959 – José Maria Belo
• 1958 – Rachel de Queiroz
• 1957 – Tasso da Silveira
• 1956 – Luiz da Câmara Cascudo
• 1955 – Onestaldo Penafort
• 1954 – Dinah Silveira de Queiroz
• 1953 – Érico Veríssimo
• 1952 – Antonio da Silva Melo
• 1951 – Padre Augusto Magne
• 1950 – Eugênio Gomes
• 1949 – not awarded
• 1948 – Augusto Meyer
• 1947 – not awarded
• 1946 – Tobias Monteiro
• 1945 – Osório Dutra
• 1944 – not awarded
• 1943 – Sousa da Silveira
• 1942 – Afonso Schmidt
• 1941 – Tetra de Teffé