Academia Brasileira de Letras
Encyclopedia
Academia Brasileira de Letras (akadeˈmiɐ bɾaziˈlejɾɐ dʒi ˈletɾɐs English
: Brazilian Academy of Letters) is a Brazil
ian literary
non-profit society established at the end of the 19th century by a group of 40 writers and poet
s inspired by the Académie Française
. The first president, Machado de Assis, declared its foundation on December 15, 1896, with the statutes being passed on January 28, 1897. On July 20 of the same year the Academy entred into operation.
The Brazilian Academy of Letters is, according to its statutes, charged with the care of the "national language" of Brazil (the Portuguese language
) and with the promotion of Brazilian literary arts. The Academy is considered the foremost institution devoted to the Portuguese language in Brazil. Although it is not a State institution and no law grants to it oversight over the language, by its prestige and technical qualification it is the paramount authority on Brazilian Portuguese
. The Academy's main publication in this field is the Ortographic Vocabulary of the Portuguese Language (Vocabulário Ortográfico da Língua Portuguesa) of which there were five editions. The Vocabulary is prepared by the Academy's Commission on Lexicology and Lexicography.
The Academy is comprised to this day of 40 members, known as "immortals", chosen from among the citizens of Brazil who have published recognized works or books of literary value. The position of "immortal" is awarded for the recipient's lifetime. New members are admitted by a vote of the Academy members when one of the "chairs" become vacant. The chairs are numbered and each has a Patron: the Patrons are 40 great Brazilian writers that were already dead when the Academy was founded; the names of the Patrons were chosen by the Founders and they were honored post mortem by each being assigned patronage over a chair.
Thus, each of the 40 chairs is associated with its current holder, with the predecessors of the current holder who occupied it before him, and, in particular, with the Founder who occupied it first, but also with the seat's Patron.
The academicians use formal gala gilded uniforms with a sword (the uniform is called "fardão") when participating in official meetings of the Academy. During periods of dictatorship
and military régime, the Academy's neutrality in choosing proper members dedicated to the literary profession was compromised when it elected politicians with few or no contributions to literature, such as ex-president Getúlio Vargas
. The Academy, which was a purely male affair until the groundbreaking election of novelist Rachel de Queiroz
in 1977 for chair No. 5, now has four women members (10% of its total membership), one of which, Nélida Piñon
, served as president in 1996-7.
The Academy, thanks to good revenues in excess of $
4 million a year, is well off financially. It owns a skyscraper with 28 floors (Palácio Austregésilo de Athaide), in a valued area in the center of Rio, which the Academy rents for office space, generating 70% of its current revenue. The rest comes from rental of other buildings, which were legated by book editor Francisco Alves
, in 1917, and from financial investments. This comfortable situation allows for paying a "jeton
" to each academician. The ABL is located just by its side, in a beautiful neoclassical
building, which is named "Petit Trianon". It was donated by the government of France in 1923 and is so named because it is a copy of the Petit Trianon
palace in Versailles
, near Paris, France.
It has recently inaugurated one of the largest public libraries
in Rio, with 90,000 volumes and a huge multimedia
center.
The Academy annually awards several literary prizes: the Prêmio Machado de Assis
(the most important literature prize in the country, awarded for lifework), and the ABL prizes for poetry, for fiction and drama, for essays, critic and history of the literature, and for children's literature. In 2005 the Afonso Arino de Mello Franco Prize was also established.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Brazilian Academy of Letters) is a Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian literary
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
non-profit society established at the end of the 19th century by a group of 40 writers and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
s inspired by the Académie Française
Académie française
L'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...
. The first president, Machado de Assis, declared its foundation on December 15, 1896, with the statutes being passed on January 28, 1897. On July 20 of the same year the Academy entred into operation.
The Brazilian Academy of Letters is, according to its statutes, charged with the care of the "national language" of Brazil (the Portuguese language
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
) and with the promotion of Brazilian literary arts. The Academy is considered the foremost institution devoted to the Portuguese language in Brazil. Although it is not a State institution and no law grants to it oversight over the language, by its prestige and technical qualification it is the paramount authority on Brazilian Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese is a group of Portuguese dialects written and spoken by most of the 190 million inhabitants of Brazil and by a few million Brazilian emigrants, mainly in the United States, United Kingdom, Portugal, Canada, Japan and Paraguay....
. The Academy's main publication in this field is the Ortographic Vocabulary of the Portuguese Language (Vocabulário Ortográfico da Língua Portuguesa) of which there were five editions. The Vocabulary is prepared by the Academy's Commission on Lexicology and Lexicography.
The Academy is comprised to this day of 40 members, known as "immortals", chosen from among the citizens of Brazil who have published recognized works or books of literary value. The position of "immortal" is awarded for the recipient's lifetime. New members are admitted by a vote of the Academy members when one of the "chairs" become vacant. The chairs are numbered and each has a Patron: the Patrons are 40 great Brazilian writers that were already dead when the Academy was founded; the names of the Patrons were chosen by the Founders and they were honored post mortem by each being assigned patronage over a chair.
Thus, each of the 40 chairs is associated with its current holder, with the predecessors of the current holder who occupied it before him, and, in particular, with the Founder who occupied it first, but also with the seat's Patron.
The academicians use formal gala gilded uniforms with a sword (the uniform is called "fardão") when participating in official meetings of the Academy. During periods of dictatorship
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
and military régime, the Academy's neutrality in choosing proper members dedicated to the literary profession was compromised when it elected politicians with few or no contributions to literature, such as ex-president Getúlio Vargas
Getúlio Vargas
Getúlio Dornelles Vargas served as President of Brazil, first as dictator, from 1930 to 1945, and in a democratically elected term from 1951 until his suicide in 1954. Vargas led Brazil for 18 years, the most for any President, and second in Brazilian history to Emperor Pedro II...
. The Academy, which was a purely male affair until the groundbreaking election of novelist Rachel de Queiroz
Rachel de Queiroz
Rachel de Queiroz was a Brazilian author and journalist....
in 1977 for chair No. 5, now has four women members (10% of its total membership), one of which, Nélida Piñon
Nélida Piñon
Nélida Piñon is a Brazilian writer born May 3, 1937 in Rio de Janeiro of Spanish immigrants. Her first novel was Guia-Mapa de Gabriel Arcanjo , written in 1961, it concerns a protagonist discussing Christian doctrine with her guardian angel...
, served as president in 1996-7.
The Academy, thanks to good revenues in excess of $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
4 million a year, is well off financially. It owns a skyscraper with 28 floors (Palácio Austregésilo de Athaide), in a valued area in the center of Rio, which the Academy rents for office space, generating 70% of its current revenue. The rest comes from rental of other buildings, which were legated by book editor Francisco Alves
Francisco Alves
Francisco Alves is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.It lies along the roads BR-272 and PR-182.-References:...
, in 1917, and from financial investments. This comfortable situation allows for paying a "jeton
Jeton
Jetons were token or coin-like medals produced across Europe from the 13th through the 17th centuries. They were produced as counters for use in calculation on a lined board similar to an abacus. They also found use as a money substitute in games, similar to modern casino chips or poker chips...
" to each academician. The ABL is located just by its side, in a beautiful neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
building, which is named "Petit Trianon". It was donated by the government of France in 1923 and is so named because it is a copy of the Petit Trianon
Petit Trianon
The Petit Trianon is a small château located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France.-Design and construction:...
palace in Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
, near Paris, France.
It has recently inaugurated one of the largest public libraries
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
in Rio, with 90,000 volumes and a huge multimedia
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
center.
The Academy annually awards several literary prizes: the Prêmio Machado de Assis
Prêmio Machado de Assis
The Prêmio Machado de Assis is a literary prize awarded by the Brazilian Academy of Letters, and possibly the most prestigious literary award in Brazil. The prize was founded in 1941, named in memory of the novelist Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis...
(the most important literature prize in the country, awarded for lifework), and the ABL prizes for poetry, for fiction and drama, for essays, critic and history of the literature, and for children's literature. In 2005 the Afonso Arino de Mello Franco Prize was also established.
Original patrons
- Adelino FontouraAdelino FontouraAdelino Fontoura Chaves was a Brazilian poet, actor and journalist. He is the patron of the 1st chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.-Life:...
- Álvares de AzevedoÁlvares de AzevedoManuel Antônio Álvares de Azevedo was a Brazilian Romantic poet, short story writer, playwright and essayist...
- Artur de Oliveira
- Basílio da GamaBasílio da GamaJosé Basílio da Gama was a Brazilian-born Portuguese poet and member of the Society of Jesus, famous for the epic poem O Uraguai...
- Bernardo GuimarãesBernardo GuimarãesBernardo Joaquim da Silva Guimarães was a Brazilian poet and novelist. He is the author of the famous romances A Escrava Isaura and O Seminarista. He also introduced to the Brazilian poetry the "verso bestialógico" , poems whose verses are very nonsensical, although very metrical...
- Casimiro de AbreuCasimiro de AbreuCasimiro José Marques de Abreu was a Brazilian poet, novelist and playwright, adept of the "Ultra-Romanticism" movement...
- Castro AlvesCastro AlvesAntônio Frederico de Castro Alves was a Brazilian poet and playwright, famous for his Abolitionist and Republican poems...
- Cláudio Manuel da CostaCláudio Manuel da CostaCláudio Manuel da Costa was a Brazilian poet and musician, considered to be the introducer of the Neoclassicism in Brazil...
- Gonçalves de Magalhães
- Evaristo da Veiga
- Fagundes VarelaFagundes VarelaLuís Nicolau Fagundes Varela was a Brazilian Romantic poet, adept of the "Ultra-Romanticism" movement. He is patron of the 11th chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.-Biography:...
- França JúniorFrança JúniorJoaquim José da França Júnior was a Brazilian playwright, journalist and, initially, a painter. Alongside Martins Pena, he is one of the most famous adepts of the "comedy of customs" genre....
- Francisco OtavianoFrancisco OtavianoFrancisco Otaviano de Almeida Rosa was a Brazilian poet, lawyer, diplomat, journalist and politician. He is famous for translating into Portuguese works by famous writers such as Horace, Catullus, Lord Byron, William Shakespeare, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Victor Hugo and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,...
- Franklin TávoraFranklin TávoraJoão Franklin da Silveira Távora was a Brazilian novelist, journalist, politician, lawyer and dramatist, famous for his Regionalist romance O Cabeleira, set in the 18th century Pernambuco...
- Gonçalves Dias
- Gregório de MattosGregório de MattosGregório de Mattos e Guerra was the most famous Colonial Brazilian Baroque poet. Although he wrote many lyrical and religious poems, he was more well-known by his satirical ones, winning because of them the nickname "Boca do Inferno" .He is the patron of the 16th chair of the Brazilian Academy of...
- Hipólito da CostaHipólito da CostaHipólito José da Costa Pereira Furtado de Mendonça was a Brazilian journalist, diplomat and Freemason, considered to be the "father of Brazilian press"....
- João Francisco Lisboa
- Joaquim Caetano da Silva
- Joaquim Manuel de MacedoJoaquim Manuel de MacedoJoaquim Manuel de Macedo was a Brazilian novelist, doctor, teacher, poet, playwright and journalist, famous for the romance A Moreninha.He is the patron of the 20th chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.-Life:...
- Joaquim Serra
- José Bonifácio the YoungJosé Bonifácio the YoungJosé Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva, nicknamed The Young , was a French-born Brazilian poet, teacher and senator...
- José de AlencarJosé de AlencarJosé Martiniano de Alencar was a Brazilian lawyer, politician, orator, novelist and dramatist. He is one of the most famous writers of the first generation of Brazilian Romanticism, writing historical, regionalist and Indianist romances — being the most famous The Guarani...
- Júlio Ribeiro
- Junqueira Freire
- Laurindo RabeloLaurindo RabeloLaurindo José da Silva Rabelo was a Brazilian Ultra-Romantic poet, teacher and medician. Famous for his lundus and satires, he won the epithet of "the Brazilian Bocage", and, because of his physical appearance, the nickname "Poeta-Lagartixa" .He is the patron of the 26th chair of the Brazilian...
- Antônio Peregrino Maciel Monteiro
- Manuel Antônio de AlmeidaManuel Antônio de AlmeidaManuel Antônio de Almeida was a Brazilian writer, medician and teacher. He is famous for the book Memoirs of a Police Sergeant, written under the pen name Um Brasileiro...
- Martins PenaMartins PenaLuís Carlos Martins Pena was a Brazilian playwright, famous for introducing to Brazil the "comedy of customs", winning the epithet of "the Brazilian Molière"....
- Pardal MalletPardal MalletJoão Carlos de Medeiros Pardal Mallet was a Brazilian journalist and novelist. He is the patron of the 30th chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.-Life:...
- Pedro Luís Pereira de SousaPedro Luís Pereira de SousaPedro Luís Pereira de Sousa was a Brazilian poet, politician, orator and lawyer, adept of the "Condorist" movement. He is the patron of the 31st chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.-Life:...
- Manuel de Araújo Porto-alegre
- Raul PompeiaRaul PompéiaRaul d'Ávila Pompeia was a Brazilian novelist, short story writer and chronicler. He is famous for the Impressionist romance O Ateneu.He is patron of the 33rd chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.-Biography:...
- Sousa CaldasSousa CaldasAntônio Pereira de Sousa Caldas was a Colonial Brazilian poet, priest and orator, patron of the 34th chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.-Life:...
- Tavares Bastos
- Teófilo DiasTeófilo DiasTeófilo Odorico Dias de Mesquita was a Brazilian poet, journalist and lawyer, nephew of Gonçalves Dias.He is the patron of the 36th chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.-Life:...
- Tomás Antônio GonzagaTomás Antônio GonzagaTomás Antônio Gonzaga was a Portuguese poet. One of the most famous Neoclassic Brazilian writers, he was also the ouvidor and the ombudsman of the city of Ouro Preto , as well as the desembargador of the appeal court in Bahia...
- Tobias Barreto
- Francisco Adolfo de Varnhagen
- José Maria da Silva Paranhos
Correspondents
- Alexandre de GusmãoAlexandre de Gusmão----Alexandre de Gusmão is regarded as one of the pioneers of Brazilian Diplomacy, chiefly for his role in negotiating the Treaty of Madrid in 1750 , when Portugal and Spain were attempting to delimit their territorial possessions in South America and Asia...
- António José da SilvaAntónio José da SilvaAntónio José da Silva was a Portuguese-Brazilian dramatist, known as "the Jew" . The Brazilian spelling of his first name is Antônio.-Life:...
- Manuel Botelho de Oliveira
- Eusébio de Mattos
- Francisco de Sousa
- Matias Aires
- Nuno Marques Pereira
- Sebastião da Rocha Pita
- Santa Rita DurãoSanta Rita DurãoJosé de Santa Rita Durão was a Colonial Brazilian Neoclassic poet, orator and Augustinian friar. He is considered a forerunner of the "Indianism" in the literature of Brazil, with his epic poem Caramuru....
- Vicente do SalvadorVicente do SalvadorVicente do Salvador born Vicente Rodrigues Palha, was a Franciscan friar in Brazil, the author of the first history of Brazil, often titled the "father of Brazilian history"....
- Alexandre Rodrigues FerreiraAlexandre Rodrigues FerreiraAlexandre Rodrigues Ferreira was a naturalist born in the Portuguese colony of Brazil. He undertook an extensive journey which crossed the interior of the Amazon Basin to Mato Grosso, between 1783 and 1792. During this journey, he described the agriculture, flora, fauna, and native inhabitants...
- Antônio de Morais Silva
- Domingos Borges de Barros
- Francisco do Monte AlverneFrancisco do Monte AlverneFrancisco do Monte Alverne was a Brazilian Franciscan friar, and the official preacher of the Empire of Brazil.He is the correspondent patron of the 14th chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.-Life:...
- Joaquim Gonçalves Ledo
- José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva
- Odorico Mendes
- Manuel Inácio da Silva AlvarengaManuel Inácio da Silva AlvarengaManuel Inácio da Silva Alvarenga was a Brazilian poet.-Works:*O Desertor das Letras - heroic-comic poem*Glaura – erotic poems...
- Sotero dos Reis
- José da Silva Lisboa
Presidents of ABL
- Joaquim Maria Machado de AssisJoaquim Maria Machado de AssisJoaquim Maria Machado de Assis , often known as Machado de Assis, Machado, or Bruxo do Cosme Velho , was a Brazilian novelist, poet, playwright and short story writer. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer of Brazilian literature, but he did not gain widespread popularity outside Brazil in...
1897-1908 - Ruy BarbosaRuy BarbosaRuy Barbosa de Oliveira was a Brazilian writer, jurist, and politician.Born in Salvador da Bahia, he was a federal representative, senator, Minister of Finance and diplomat. For his distinguished participation in the Hague Peace Conference of 1907, he earned the nickname "Eagle of the Hague"...
1908-1919 - Domício da GamaDomício da GamaDomício da Gama was a journalist, diplomat and writer from Brazil. He was Brazil's ambassador to the United States from 1911 to 1918. In 1918 he became Brazil's minister for Foreign Affairs.-See also:...
1919-1919 - Carlos de Laet 1919-1922
- Afrânio PeixotoAfrânio PeixotoAfrânio Peixoto was a Brazilian medic, author, professor, and politician. Among his works are Maria Bonita. He was also President of Academia Brasileira de Letras in the 1922-1923 period....
1922-1923 - Medeiros e AlbuquerqueMedeiros e AlbuquerqueJosé Joaquim de Campos da Costa de Medeiros e Albuquerque was a Brazilian poet, politician, teacher, journalist, short story writer, civil servant, essayist, orator, novelist and dramatist...
1923-1923 - Afrânio PeixotoAfrânio PeixotoAfrânio Peixoto was a Brazilian medic, author, professor, and politician. Among his works are Maria Bonita. He was also President of Academia Brasileira de Letras in the 1922-1923 period....
1923-1924 - Afonso Celso 1925-1925
- Coelho NetoCoelho NetoHenrique Maximiano Coelho Neto was a Brazilian writer and politician...
1926-1926 - Rodrigo Otávio 1927-1927
- Augusto de LimaAugusto de LimaAntônio Augusto de Lima was a Brazilian journalist, poet, musician, magistrate, jurist, professor and politician. He was born in Congonhas de Sabará ....
1928-1928 - Fernando MagalhãesFernando MagalhãesFernando Magalhães was a Brazilian obstetrician who was twice President of the Academia Brasileira de Letras....
1929-1929 - Aloisio de Castro 1930-1930
- Fernando MagalhãesFernando MagalhãesFernando Magalhães was a Brazilian obstetrician who was twice President of the Academia Brasileira de Letras....
1931-1932 - Gustavo BarrosoGustavo BarrosoGustavo Dodt Barroso was a Brazilian writer and politician associated with Brazilian Integralism.- Biography :He was half German by birth, his mother coming from Württemberg....
1932-1933 - Ramiz Galvão 1933-1934
- Afonso Celso 1935-1935
- Laudelino Freire 1936-1936
- Ataulfo de Paiva 1937-1937
- Cláudio de Souza 1938-1938
- Antônio AustregésiloAntônio AustregésiloAntônio Austregésilo , was a Brazilian neurologist important to the history of the field in his nation....
1939-1939 - Celso Vieira 1940-1940
- Levi Carneiro 1941-1941
- Macedo Sorares 1942-1943
- Múcio Leão 1944-1944
- Pedro Calmon 1945-1945
- Cláudio de SousaClaudio De SousaClaudio De Sousa is an Italian footballer in the role of a striker. He is currently unattached.-Career:De Sousa made his Serie A debut with Lazio in 2005 and then was signed by Messina De Sousa from Lodigiani later that year, but sold to Torino in co-ownership deal...
1946-1946 - João Neves da Fontoura 1947-1947
- Adelmar TavaresAdelmar TavaresAdelmar Tavares da Silva was a lawyer, magistrate, jurist, professor and poet from Recife. He was a member of Brazilian Societies devoted to criminology and law. As a poet he was respected with several of his poems becoming songs...
1948-1948 - Miguel Osório de AlmeidaMiguel Osório de AlmeidaMiguel Osório de Almeida was a noted Brazilian physician and scientist, brother of another scientist, Álvaro Osório de Almeida, both considered the fathers of modern physiology in Brazil....
1949-1949 - Gustavo BarrosoGustavo BarrosoGustavo Dodt Barroso was a Brazilian writer and politician associated with Brazilian Integralism.- Biography :He was half German by birth, his mother coming from Württemberg....
1950-1950 - Aloisio de Castro 1951-1951
- Aníbal Freire da Fonseca 1952-1952
- Barbosa Lima Sobrinho 1953-1954
- Rodrigo Otávio Filho 1955-1955
- Peregrino Júnior 1956-1957
- Elmano Cardim 1958-1958
- Austregésilo de AthaydeAustregésilo de AthaydeAustregésilo de Athayde was a writer and journalist born in Caruaru, Pernambuco. His career includes being invited by Assis Chateaubriand to work at a top position at the Diários Associados...
1959-1993 - Abgar Renault 1993-1993
- Josué Montello 1993-1995
- Antônio HouaissAntônio HouaissAntônio Houaiss was a Brazilian lexicographer, writer and translator, who served as the Minister of Culture.He was the son of Lebanese immigrants....
1995-1996 - Nélida PiñonNélida PiñonNélida Piñon is a Brazilian writer born May 3, 1937 in Rio de Janeiro of Spanish immigrants. Her first novel was Guia-Mapa de Gabriel Arcanjo , written in 1961, it concerns a protagonist discussing Christian doctrine with her guardian angel...
1996-1997 - Arnaldo Niskier 1997-1999
- Tarcísio Padilha 2000-2002
- Alberto da Costa e Silva 2002-2004
- Ivan Junqueira 2004-2005
- Marcos Vinícios Rodrigues Vilaça 2006-2007
- Cícero Sandroni 2008
Current members
The members of the Brazilian Academy of Letters (June 2008):- Ana Maria MachadoAna Maria MachadoAna Maria Machado was born in 1941 in Rio de Janeiro and is, alongside Lygia Bojunga Nunes and Ruth Rocha, one of the most significant children's book authors in Brazil. She started her career as a painter in Rio de Janeiro and New York City. After studying Romance languages she did a PhD with...
- Tarcísio Padilha
- Carlos Heitor ConyCarlos Heitor ConyCarlos Heitor Cony is a journalist and author was born in Rio de Janeiro on March 14, 1926. He is classed as center-left and faced persecution under the military government in the 1960s. He is one of Brazil's leading journalists and novelists with ten of his works being filmed. He is a columnist at...
- Carlos NejarCarlos NejarLuis Carlos Verzoni Nejar, better known as Carlos Nejar , is a Brazilian poet, author, translator and critic, and a member of the Academia Brasileira de Letras. One of the most important poets of its generation, Nejar, also called "o poeta do pampa brasileiro", is distinguished for his use of an...
- José Murilo de Carvalho
- Cícero Sandroni
- Nelson Pereira dos Santos
- Cleonice Berardinelli
- Alberto da Costa e Silva
- Lêdo Ivo
- Hélio Jaguaribe
- Alfredo BosiAlfredo BosiAlfredo Bosi is a Brazilian historian, literary critic, and professor. He is member of the Academia Brasileira de Letras . One of his most famous books in Brazil is the "História Concisa da Literatura Brasileira", using in many Universities along the years...
- Sergio Paulo Rouanet
- Celso LaferCelso LaferCelso Lafer, born August 7, 1941 is a Brazilian jurist, full professor of Philosophy of Law at University of São Paulo, twice former foreign minister and a former commerce minister.-Education:...
- Fernando Bastos de ÁvilaFernando Bastos de ÁvilaFernando Bastos de Ávila was a Brazilian Roman Catholic priest. A member of the Society of Jesus, de Ávila was a member of the Academia Brasileira de Letras and vice-chancellor of Pontificía Universidade Católica....
- Lygia Fagundes TellesLygia Fagundes TellesLygia Fagundes Telles is a Brazilian novelist and short-story writer. She was born in São Paulo and is one of Brazil's most important living writers....
- Affonso Arinos de M. Franco
- Arnaldo Niskier
- Antonio Carlos Secchin
- Murilo Melo Filho
- Paulo CoelhoPaulo CoelhoPaulo Coelho is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist.-Biography:Paulo Coelho was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He attended a Jesuit school. As a teenager, Coelho wanted to become a writer. Upon telling his mother this, she responded with "My dear, your father is an engineer. He's a logical,...
- Ivo PitanguyIvo PitanguyIvo Hélcio Jardim de Campos Pitanguy is a plastic surgeon based in Rio de Janeiro.Pitanguy studied at the Bethesda North Hospital in Cincinnati, where he worked with John Longacre. Soon after, Pitanguy went to France and England where he studied plastic surgery.In 1953 he began working at a...
- Luiz Paulo Horta
- Sábato Magaldi
- Alberto Venancio Filho
- Marcos Vinicios Rodrigues Vilaça
- Eduardo PortellaEduardo PortellaEduardo Portella is a Brazilian essayist, author, and Professor Emeritus at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. He has written thirty books and was President of UNESCO's general conference.-External links:**...
- Domício Proença Filho
- Geraldo Holanda Cavalcanti
- Nélida PiñonNélida PiñonNélida Piñon is a Brazilian writer born May 3, 1937 in Rio de Janeiro of Spanish immigrants. Her first novel was Guia-Mapa de Gabriel Arcanjo , written in 1961, it concerns a protagonist discussing Christian doctrine with her guardian angel...
- Moacyr ScliarMoacyr ScliarMoacyr Jaime Scliar was a Brazilian writer and physician.Scliar is best known outside Brazil for his 1981 novel Max and the Cats , the story of a young man who flees Berlin after he comes to the attention of the Nazis for having had an affair with a married woman...
- Ariano SuassunaAriano SuassunaAriano Suassuna is a Brazilian playwright and author.He is in the "Movemento Amorial". He founded the Student Theater at Federal University of Pernambuco....
- Evanildo Bechara
- João Ubaldo RibeiroJoão Ubaldo RibeiroJoão Ubaldo Ribeiro is a Brazilian author born in Itaparica, Bahia on January 23, 1941. In the English speaking world his An Invincible Memory has been highly praised...
- Candido Antonio Mendes de Almeida
- João de Scantimburgo
- Ivan Junqueira
- José SarneyJosé SarneyJosé Sarney de Araújo Costa is a Brazilian lawyer, writer and politician. He served as president of Brazil from 15 March 1985 to 15 March 1990....
- Marco MacielMarco MacielMarco Antônio de Oliveira Maciel is a Brazilian politician. He is a lawyer and a law school professor. He was a founder of the conservative PFL party, former ARENA and was twice elected vice-president in the same ticket as center-right President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, in 1994 and 1998...
- Evaristo de Moraes Filho
Gallery of the Immortals
- Machado de Assis
- Jorge AmadoJorge AmadoJorge Leal Amado de Faria was a Brazilian writer of the Modernist school. He was the best-known of modern Brazilian writers, his work having been translated into some 49 languages and popularized in film, notably Dona Flor and her Two Husbands in 1978...
- José Guilherme MerquiorJosé Guilherme MerquiorJosé Guilherme Merquior was a Brazilian diplomat, academic, writer, literary critic and philosopher.-Biography:...
- Tobias Barreto