Emma Godoy

Emma Godoy Lobato (25 March 1918 – 30 July 1989) was a Mexican writer, philosopher, psychologist, educator, radio personality and activist, best known for her literary contributions and her advocacy for the rights and dignity of the elderly in Mexico.

Early life and education

She was born on March 25, 1918, in Guanajuato.

The daughter of Abigail Lobato and Enrique Godoy, she was the youngest of 15 siblings. She spent her early years in her hometown until, at the age of eight, she moved with her entire family to Mexico City, settling in the neighborhood. Her early fascination with storytelling was inspired by tales from her nanny Brígida.

Pausas y arena (1948) Caín el Hombre (1950) Érase un hombre pentafásico (1961) Sombras de magia (1968) La mujer en su año y en sus siglos (1975) El Arte de Envejecer (1975) El Tiempo y Yo (1980) Antología de la Vejez (1981) La mera verdad o ¿puros cuentos? (1985) Apocalipsis (1986) El secreto para amar (1989)

Her novel Érase un hombre pentafásico earned her the Ibero-American Novel Award from the William Faulkner Foundation in 1962.

Godoy died on July 30, 1989, in Mexico City. In 2006, her remains were moved to the Rotunda of Illustrious Persons in the Panteón Civil de Dolores, in Mexico City. She is one of only eight women buried there, alongside Ángela Peralta, Virginia Fábregas, Rosario Castellanos, María Lavalle Urbina, Amalia González Caballero, María Izquierdo and Dolores del Río.

On March 25, 2022, Google honoured Emma Godoy with a Doodle commemorating her 103rd birthday.