Romulus Dianu
Romulus Dianu (born Romulus Dima; March 22, 1905–August 25, 1975) was a Romanian prose writer, journalist and translator.
Born in Bucharest, his parents were Căile Ferate Române worker Gheorghe Dima, a relative of composer Gheorghe Dima; and his wife Virgilia (née Maiorescu), descended from the family of Petru Maior. After attending primary school in Murfatlar and Bârlad, he enrolled in the classics section of his native city's Saint Sava National College, thanks to the help of his uncle, poet George Tutoveanu. In 1925, he entered the literature and philosophy faculty of the University of Bucharest. He made his published debut in Rampa in 1926, with opinion pieces. His first book appeared in 1929; co-written with Sergiu Dan, it was a fictionalized biography titled Viața minunată a lui Anton Pann.[1] Dan was his best friend, and he was also very close to Ion Vinea and Pamfil Șeicaru.[2] He wrote the novels Adorata (1930) and Nopți la Ada-Kaleh (1931) in the prevailing serialized style of the day.[1]
Dianu then entered the diplomatic field,[1] working as Nicolae Titulescu's secretary for a decade[2] and receiving accreditation from the League of Nations. During World War II, he wrote regularly for the official press.[1] Following the war and the onset of a Romanian Communist Party-led government, he was sent to prison for his journalistic activity. After being released, he worked as a day laborer, woodcutter and book peddler. Found by Ion Caraion selling books in a passageway, he was able to retire and secure a pension from the Romanian Writers' Union upon the latter's proposal.[2] He wrote three novels during the last five years of his life.[2] He translated Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Bertolt Brecht and Georges Duhamel.[1]