Court Grants Rights For Work Of Argentine Literary Icon Borges To His Wife’s Nephew

An Argentina court in Buenos Aires has recently granted the right to the work of the renowned Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges to five nephews of his late widow, Maria Kodama.

Maria Kodama, who was known for fiercely protecting Borges’ legacy, passed away in March without leaving a will, causing uncertainty regarding the rights to his works.
In a recent ruling, the court declared that the five nephews would receive the rights to Borges’ works as “universal heirs.” When Borges died in 1986 at the age of 86, he left Kodama, whom he had married earlier that year, as his sole heir. As they had no children, the absence of a will created a legal dilemma.

Following Kodama’s death, her nephews took the legal step of declaring themselves her heirs in order to gain ownership of all her possessions, including the rights to Borges’ works and potentially valuable manuscripts. This move surprised many, including Kodama’s longtime lawyer, Fernando Soto, who expressed relief that the state would not retain control over everything.

Notably, Borges’ widow had led a separate life from her family, and the discovery of her nephews came as a surprise to Soto. The court’s decision has resolved the uncertainty surrounding the ownership of Borges’ works and their future management.