Raduan Nassar was born in 1935, in Pindorama, in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He was raised mainly in small rural towns, then went on to study Law at the University of Sao Paulo. Like his Lebanese immigrant family, the author's life has been bound in agriculture and writing. Ancient Tillage (1975) and A Cup of Rage (1978), a novella, are his two major literary works. He also worked as a journalist and editor for the newspaper Jornal do Bairro, jointly founded with his brothers. Although an acclaimed literary author, since 1985 Raduan Nassar has led a private existence dedicated to farming and livestock production. He retired to a smaller farm in 2011, having donated his entire commercial property to the agricultural departments of the Federal University of Sao Carlos for the creation of a new campus.