Maxim's literary work began in 1938 with the story of Les Ursitoris and ended shortly before his death in 1999. His nine novels and a collection of short stories made him the most productive Romani prose writer in France.
His works have been translated into 14 languages.
Born in Spain, but due to the civil war in that state from 1936 to 1939, Mateo Maximoff moved with his family to France, where he also made the greatest writer career.
He wrote in French mainly because the possibilities to publish in Romany were quite small.
Otherwise, for the Roma Studies magazine "Les Études Tsiganes", he published several short stories in Romany - Calderan dialect.
He also translated the New Testament into Romans, and the translation of the Old Testament prevented death,
His novel La septième fille (1958) was published in German, while the English translation was made in 1979.
Otherwise Matteo was also a close relative with the most famous jazz guitarist, Django Reichard
At the same time in 1971 was part of the first team of organizing the First Roma World Congress of IRU in London in 1971, a speaker of that Congress and a major interpreter was introduced.
In 1985, she was also awarded the title "Art and life art work from the French government headed by then-President Jacques Chirac.
