Fănuș Neagu

Motto: I loved life as a rake! (Fănuș Neagu)

Ştefan "Fănuș" Neagu (April 5, 1932, Grădiștea-de-Sus, Brăila County - May 24, 2011, Bucharest) was a Romanian storyteller, memoirist, short story writer, novelist, and playwright, one of the most talented contemporary authors. A terrible child of the literary world, a bohemian par excellence of that were forgiven all the excesses and drift, bon viveur, he has become extremely popular as a man and a writer.

He was born in a modest peasant family. Neagu studied for five years in his village. Between 1944-1948 he continued his studies at the Military High School in Iaşi and Câmpulung-Muscel. Then he followed the Pedagogical School in Bucharest in 1952, and by the year 1953 became student of the School of Literature "Mihai Eminescu" in Bucharest. Here he was colleague with Nicholas Labiş and Radu Cosaşu. Between 1954-1957 Neagu studied at the Faculty of Philology in Bucharest, but he could not complete a degree.

Fănuș Neagu published in 1954 the story "Enemy of the world" (Dușman cu lumea) in the "Young Writer" magazine. In 1960 has editorial debut with the volume of stories "Was snowing in Bărăgan" (Ningea în Bărăgan), volume reprinted in 1964 under the title "Left Canton" (Cantonul părăsit). He developed high-density epic deployments with ample availability of original and verbal invention. The Danube Delta, the surroundings of Brăila, the Bărăgan make up in his prose a spiritual geography that finds expression in an unmistakable style. He was editor of the Luceafărul and Amfiteatru magazines, he wrote highly appreciated sports chronicles in Literary Romania magazine. He was director of Ţara magazine and Cronica Română newspaper.

He received the Writers' Union Award four times, for The left canton, The beautiful madmen of the great cities (Frumoșii nebuni ai marilor orașe), The noises team (Echipa de zgomote), and The midnight house (Casa de la Miezul Nopții). Between 1993-1996 he was director of the National Theater in Bucharest. In 1993 he became Corresponded Member of the Romanian Academy, and in 2001 full Member. Fănuș Neagu died today at 3.30 AM. God rest his soul!