Clarice Lispector was a Ukrainian-born Brazilian novelist and short story writer renowned for her innovative narrative techniques and introspective themes. Born Chaya Pinkhasivna Lispector in Podolia, Ukraine, on December 10, 1920, she moved with her family to Brazil as an infant to escape the upheavals following World War I.

Raised in Recife, Brazil, Lispector experienced the loss of her mother at a young age. Her family relocated to Rio de Janeiro during her adolescence, where she attended law school. It was during this time that she began to publish her early journalistic works and short stories. At just 23, she gained fame with her first novel, Near to the Wild Heart (Perto do Coração Selvagem), noted for its revolutionary style and language.

Lispector's marriage to a Brazilian diplomat took her to Europe and the United States, but she returned to Rio de Janeiro in 1959. Her acclaimed works include Family Ties (Laços de Família), The Passion According to G.H. (A Paixão Segundo G.H.), and the masterpiece Água Viva. Despite suffering from pain due to an accident in 1966, she continued to write prolifically until her death on December 9, 1977.

Her literary legacy includes numerous adaptations of her works into films and a significant influence on Brazilian literature and music. She is celebrated as one of the most important Jewish writers since Franz Kafka, and her work continues to be translated and studied worldwide.