Mircea Dinescu is a Romanian poet, editor and dissident. He was born on November 11, 1950 in Slobozia, the son of Stefan Dinescu, metallurgist worker and Aurelia Badea, worker.

He studied at the Faculty of Journalism, "Ştefan Gheorghiu" Academy and was considered a gifted young poet during his youth, with several poetry volumes published.

He was the only person that was first a doorman and then a full member at the Bucharest Writers Association.

His book, Moartea citeşte ziarul (Death is reading the newspaper) was turned down by the communist censoreship in 1988 and was then published in Amsterdam.

In 1989 he was fired from România literară literary magazine, as a result of an antidicatorial interview against Nicolae Ceauşescu granted to the French newspaper Libération and he was arrested at his residence. In December 1989 he took a proeminent part in the Romanian Revolution.

After the fall of Communism, he cofounded Academia Caţavencu, the most famous Romanian satyrical magazine. He quit the publication in 1998 and went on founding his own publications, Plai cu Boi (loosely translated as Land of the dumb) - satirical Playboy-style magazine and Aspirina Săracului (Poorman's Aspirin - a humoristic reference to sexual intercourse) - weekly satirical magazine.

He remaines a strong and charismatic voice of the civil society. As member of Consiliul Naţional pentru Studierea Arhivelor Securităţii (National Council for Studying the Archives of the Securitate), Dinescu is particulary concerend with exposing the former officers and collaborators of Securitate. He is also a strong critic of Communism and of Romanian leaders that had connections with the Communist regime.

He is not politically involved. However, he openly supported Traian Basescu's 2004 candidature for President of Romania.

External links

• Mircea Dinescu - 2003 Time's Heroes of Europe