Lygia was born in São Paulo, Brazil, daughter of Durval de Azevedo Fagundes and Maria do Rosário de Azevedo Fagundes. She is one of the best Brazilian writers, and is member of Academia Brasileira de Letras since 1987. Her first book, "Praia Viva", was published in 1944. In 1949 got the Afonso Arinos award for her short stories book "O Cacto Vermelho". Among her most successful books are "Ciranda de Pedra" (1954), "Verão no Aquário" (1963), "Antes do Baile Verde" (1970), "Seminário dos Ratos" (1977) and "As Horas Nuas", (1989), among others. The book "Antes do Baile Verde" won the Best Foreign Women Writers Grand Prix in Cannes (France) in 1969.
