Gilka maria lisboa biography

Brazilian poet and political activist

Gilka Machado (1893–1980) was a Brazilian poet and political activist. She became known as one of the first women to write erotic poetry in Brazil; her work is usually classified as symbolist.^[1] Machado was also one of the founders of the Partido Republicano Feminino (Women's Republican Party) in 1910,which advocated for the women's right to vote.^[1]

Life

Machado was born in 1893, in Rio de Janeiro.

She started to write poetry as a child. At age 14 she participated of a literary contest held by the newspaper A Imprensa, winning the three main prizes with poems under her name and pseudonyms.^[1] The critics were scandalized by her poems, calling her an "immoral matron".^[1]

Her first book of poems, Cristais partidos, was published in 1915.

The book was prefaced by Olavo Bilac.^[2] The following years, she published the books: A revelação dos perfumes (1916), Estado de