Passion or Profession: Novelist and Politician

Period: 1884–1969

Gallegos worked as a schoolteacher and journalist before gaining recognition for his 1929 novel, Doña Barbara. Because the novel criticized the military leadership of the time, Gallegos was forced to flee to Spain, where he continued to write. When he returned to Venezuela in 1936 he became involved in government, was elected a member of congress, and eventually became president. Although he was overthrown by a coup after just 10 months, he was still well respected. In 1964, the first Rómulo Gallegos Prize for international literature was awarded in his honor.