Rio Hosts International Book Fair in Centro’s France-Brazil House

By Beatriz Miranda, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – This Wednesday, March 28th, cultural center Casa França-Brasil (France-Brazil House), in Centro, opened the “Salão Internacional do Livro,” a book fair aimed at promoting lusophone literature. Happening in Rio for the first time, the event will gather veteran and promising writers, debates, and workshops until next Wednesday, April 4th.

Originally conceived by Brazilian publishing house, ZL, seven years ago, the “Salão Internacional do Livro” was born from a project called “Portuguese language authors across the world,” and has already been hosted in places such as New York, Berlin, Lisbon, and Canada.

Organized by writer and journalist, Jô Ramos, the first Carioca edition of the event will honor the Brazilian poet, art critic, and essayist Ferreira Gullar. Gullar was nominated by nine scholars from Brazil, Portugal, and the United States for the Nobel Literature Prize in 2002.

According to Ramos, the event was created to increase the visibility of independent authors and publishing houses that do not have access to official networks of Brazilian literature:

“It stimulates new literature and new authors. We managed to gather more than 2,000 authors and 100,000 visitors over the last years. We believe in the potential of the Brazilian authors and their literary production. Raising the voice of these new authors is the aim of the project,” says Jô Ramos to media outlet, Sopa Cultural.

Apart from the book fair, the event will include debates on contemporary social issues and the editorial market, and also poetry and creative writing workshops. This afternoon, March 29th, at 3PM, there will be a debate on religious intolerance by authors Rosiane Rodrigues, Vilma Piedade, and Adailton Moreira Costa. Later this Thursday, writer Leonardo Valente and ambassador Jerônimo Moscardo will discuss the relations between literature and politics, at 7PM.

On Wednesday, April 4th, writer Tarcísio Lage will run a debate about corruption and power, at 3PM. Afterward, biographer and journalist Ana Arruda Callado will gather with filmmaker Sérgio Santeiro at 7PM to reflect on the 50th anniversary of 1968, a symbolic year from the period of Brazil’s military dictatorship.

Additionally, two workshops will happen this Saturday, March 31st: a poetry workshop with Letícia Feres, from 2PM to 4PM; and a writing workshop for young people with Ana Libânio, from 4PM to 6PM.

What: “Salão Internacional do Livro” (Rio Book Fair)
When: March 28th to April 4th – 12PM to 8PM
Where: Casa França-Brasil – R. Visconde de Itaboraí, 78 – Centro
Entrance: FREE