Gloria Fuertes

Hello! My name is Gloria Fuertes, and I want to tell you my story. I was born in a lively neighborhood in Madrid, Spain, on July 28th, 1917. My family didn't have much money, but our home was full of stories that sparked my imagination. I taught myself how to read and write and began creating my own poems and tales when I was just a little girl. I didn't need fancy notebooks; I would write on any scrap of paper I could find! I knew, even at that young age, that words were my magic, a way to make sense of the world and create new ones.

When I was a teenager, a terrible time began in my country. A conflict called the Spanish Civil War started in 1936. It was a sad and scary period that showed me just how much the world needed peace and kindness. This experience stayed with me and shaped my writing for the rest of my life, making me want to fill my poems with messages of hope. After the war finally ended in 1939, I started working in a library. I was completely surrounded by the books I loved so much. It felt like the perfect place for a girl who dreamed of filling the world with her own stories and poems one day.

I kept writing and writing, pouring my thoughts and feelings onto the page. Finally, in 1950, I published my very first book of poems! It was called 'Isla Ignorada,' which means 'Ignored Island.' It truly felt like I was sharing a secret part of myself with the world for the first time. A little over a decade later, in 1961, I went on a big adventure. I traveled all the way from Spain to the United States to teach at a university. It was so exciting to share my love of Spanish poetry with students in a brand new country and see how words could connect people from different cultures.

While I wrote many poems for grown-ups, my biggest joy always came from writing for children. I loved making them laugh and think. In the 1970s, I got a wonderful opportunity to be on television shows in Spain, like 'Un globo, dos globos, tres globos.' I would read my funny poems and tell silly stories, and soon, children all across the country knew my voice. I wanted my words to be like a big, warm hug for everyone, making them feel happy, smart, and a little less alone in the world.

I spent my whole life writing poems and stories about important things like peace, fairness for everyone, and taking care of our beautiful planet. I always wrote with my heart, hoping to make the world a little brighter with my words. I lived to be 81 years old. Today, my books are still read in schools and homes across Spain and many other places. I hope that when you read my words, you feel the same joy I felt while writing them, and always remember that your voice matters, too.