Renowned Argentine playwright, novelist, and short story writer Griselda Gambaro passed away this Tuesday at the age of 98, according to official sources. Argentina’s Secretariat of Culture issued a statement highlighting the author as a key figure who revitalized Argentine theater.
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Gambaro was a pioneer among her country’s female playwrights. She began her career writing short stories and novellas. Her first publication, Madrigal en ciudad (1963), won an award from the National Fund for the Arts (FNA), and two years later, El desatino won the Emecé Prize. Her breakthrough in the theater world was cemented in 1964 when the FNA and the Theater Association recognized her play Las paredes. Reading was her world from an early age; she decided not to attend university so she could devote time to writing while working at the Sociedad Luz socialist library.
In 1965, she premiered her first play at the Instituto Di Tella. Reflecting on her entry into a male-dominated field, the author said: “A woman has to step in without asking for permission. When she can, she has to do what she wants. I don’t think I asked anyone for permission.” Regarding the resistance she faced, she added: “It was never quite clear to me whether it was because I brought a different kind of language or because I was a woman in a man’s world.”
During the civic-military dictatorship, Gambaro was a victim of censorship and exile. The regime banned her novel *Ganarse la muerte* (1976), deeming it contrary to the social order, and her play *Real envido* met the same fate. The regime placed her on a blacklist in 1979. She went into exile in Barcelona with her husband, the visual artist Juan Carlos Distéfano—who passed away on July 25, 2026. Upon her return, she participated in the historic Open Theater (in spanish Teatro Abierto) series (1981) with Saying Yes (Decir sí ), marking a milestone in the cultural resistance against authoritarianism.
Despedimos con profundo pesar a la dramaturga y escritora Griselda Gambaro, figura emblemática y fundamental del teatro argentino. Su obra y su compromiso dejan una profunda huella en nuestra cultura. Acompañamos con afecto a sus familiares, amistades y a la comunidad artística. pic.twitter.com/RWVU7eNLWk
— Asociación Argentina de Actores y Actrices (@actoresprensa) September 15, 2026
The text reads, “We bid farewell with profound sorrow to the playwright and writer Griselda Gambaro, an emblematic and fundamental figure in Argentine theater. Her work and her commitment leave a deep mark on our culture. We accompany with affection her family, friends, and the artistic community.”
Her extensive body of dramatic work includes essential titles such as Cuatro ejercicios para actrices (1970), Información para extranjeros (1978), Antígona colérica (1986), La casa sin sosiego (1992), and *La señora Macbeth* (2003). Her final play to premiere was El don in August 2015. As a novelist, her legacy is equally robust, with standout works including Después del día de fiesta (1994) and El mar que nos trajo (2001).
Gambaro amassed a vast array of honors, including the National Theater Award (1994), the María Guerrero Award (1997), the Konex Award for Lifetime Achievement (2014), and the Atahualpa del Cioppo Award in Spain. In 2005, she became the first female writer to open the Buenos Aires International Book Fair, and in 2010, she delivered the opening address at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
Upon awarding her an honorary doctorate, Dean Sandra Torlucci described her as someone who “refused to be trapped by any prejudice, transformed herself ceaselessly without ever abandoning her own voice, and withstood criticism, sexism, and totalitarianism.”
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— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) September 11, 2026
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