Brazil’s Jabuti Acadêmico Book Prize Names Its 2026 Semifinalists
Brazil · Culture
Key Facts
—The news. Brazil’s Book Chamber has named the semifinalists for the third Jabuti Acadêmico, the academic branch of the country’s most prestigious book prize.
—The scale. The 2026 edition drew 2,085 entries, with 10 semifinalists chosen in each category.
—Familiar names. The list includes philosopher Marilena Chaui and journalist Eugênio Bucci, two of Brazil’s best-known public intellectuals.
—Special honours. Physicist José Goldemberg was named Academic Personality of the year, and Mary Del Priore’s history of Brazilian women was named the 2026 Academic Classic.
—What’s next. Finalists are announced on 27 July, with the awards ceremony set for 11 August in São Paulo.
Brazil’s academic publishing world has its shortlist. The Jabuti Acadêmico, the scholarly branch of the country’s most celebrated book award, has named the semifinalists for its 2026 edition, headed by some of Brazil’s most recognisable thinkers.
The Câmara Brasileira do Livro, Brazil’s national book chamber, announced the list on Tuesday. The prize honours academic, scientific, technical and professional works, and this third edition attracted 2,085 submissions, with 10 semifinalists selected in each category.
For readers outside Brazil, the Jabuti is the rough equivalent of a national book award, running since 1959 and named after a native tortoise. The academic edition, launched only recently, extends that recognition to the country’s universities and research presses.
The names to know on the Jabuti Acadêmico list
The most familiar figure is Marilena Chaui, arguably Brazil’s most influential living philosopher, who is a semifinalist in the philosophy category with a book on why philosophy still matters, per PublishNews. Also on the list is Eugênio Bucci, a journalist and academic widely read on media and democracy.
Their presence signals what the academic Jabuti is trying to do: reward serious scholarship that still reaches a general audience, rather than works confined to specialist shelves.
Two honours announced ahead of the finals
Alongside the competitive categories, the organisers named two special awards. José Goldemberg, a physicist known internationally for his work on energy and climate policy, was named the 2026 Academic Personality.
The Academic Classic honour went to História das mulheres no Brasil, historian Mary Del Priore’s landmark study of the country’s women, a title the organisers said had shaped generations of students and researchers.
The road to the prize
The five finalists in each category will be revealed on 27 July, during the annual meeting of the Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science in Niterói, near Rio de Janeiro, and on the prize’s website at the same time.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 11 August at the Teatro Sérgio Cardoso in São Paulo. For a foreign audience, the calendar is a useful guide to who and what Brazil’s academic world is celebrating this year.
More: Brazil news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Jabuti Acadêmico?
It is the academic branch of Brazil’s Jabuti prize, the country’s most prestigious book award, run by the Câmara Brasileira do Livro. It honours academic, scientific, technical and professional works and is now in its third edition.
Who are the notable 2026 semifinalists?
They include philosopher Marilena Chaui and journalist Eugênio Bucci. Separately, physicist José Goldemberg was named Academic Personality and Mary Del Priore’s history of Brazilian women was named the 2026 Academic Classic.
When are the winners announced?
Finalists are announced on 27 July in Niterói, and the winners are revealed at a ceremony on 11 August at the Teatro Sérgio Cardoso in São Paulo.
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