Is a world without borders possible? Who am I and who is the other in this world? In what ways are we equal and different? What is it like to live on the edges? How has the pandemic brought us closer and further apart?
These are just some of the questions that will be addressed during the VivaLivro International Literary Festival - Literature as Welcome , a free online event, which took place from March 24 to 27, 2021.
Organized by Solisluna Design Editora, in partnership with Instituto Emília , the project had financial support from the State of Bahia, through the Secretariat of Culture and the Pedro Calmon Foundation (Aldir Blanc Bahia Program), via the Aldir Blanc Law, directed by the Special Secretariat of Culture of the Ministry of Tourism, Federal Government .
The curatorship was in charge of Valéria Pergentino, founding partner of Solisluna, and Dolores Prades, director of Instituto Emília. The event's objectives include promoting the reading of literary works that address topics such as migration, cultural diversity, identity and other stories written about differences, as well as promoting books and authors that address key issues of visibility.
“The VivaLivro Literary Festival was born from the desire to qualify reading experiences as spaces to think about the human condition and from the desire to create a place for learning, reflection and acceptance of all diversities. It is an event produced here in Bahia, with the stamp of our people, but which encompasses feelings from all over the world”, highlights Valéria Pergentino. Dolores Prades adds: “There is also the issue of training critical readers, 'disobedient' - as Graciela Montes says, in the book ' Buscar Indícios, Construir Sentidos ' -, capable of knowing their place in the world. And that's what we intend to discuss in the program ."
For four days, literary conversations, workshops, storytelling and a book fair with exclusive releases were held. Among the guests, representatives from Bahia are the artist Goya Lopes , the educator Maria Isabel Gonçalves , the pedagogue Cybele Amado (director of the Anísio Teixeira Institute); the pedagogue and writer José Eduardo Ferreira Santos (Acervo da Laje); and teacher and writer Bárbara Carine (Escola Afro-Brasileira Maria Felipa); psychologist Claudia Mascarenhas, journalist Mira Silva; singer and instrumentalist Mariana Caribé ; the writer and blogger Emília Nuñez; and pedagogue and writer Helena Nascimento . Also participating in the event were thinker, writer and indigenous leader Ailton Krenak (MG); the pedagogue Tereza Cristina Rodrigues Villela (SP); psychologist, cultural producer and writer Neide Almeida (SP); the coordinator of the Brazilian Institute of Studies and Community Support (IBEAC-SP), Bel Santos; the visual artist and consultant in the areas of education and arts, Stela Barbieri (SP); journalist and professor Rosane Borges (SP); and the educator, writer, journalist, documentary filmmaker and ethnomusician Délcio Teobaldo (MG) .
Among the international names are Peruvian Issa Watanabe , illustrator of the award-winning book 'Migrantes'; Chilean writer Sara Bertrand , winner of the New Horizons Award Raggazi Bologna (2017), with 'The Woman of the Guard' ; Ecuadorian economist Alberto Acosta ; the Argentine writer and illustrator based in Spain, Gusti Rosemfet , who in 2016 received one of the most prestigious international awards, the “Bologna Ragazzi Award”, for the book 'Mallko y Papá' , winner in the category of books about disabilities; and the Ghanaian writer Ousman Umar , one of the most representative names in current African literature. Based in Barcelona since 2005, Ousman has been celebrated throughout Europe for his book ' Trip to the White Country ', in which he narrates the difficult journey of refugees who leave their lands in searching for a better life in other countries, but most of the time, they encounter misery and death. The writer himself is a refugee who fell into the hands of international human trafficking, but survived to tell his story and be the voice of those who were not as "lucky". Umar opened the Literary Festival.
In one of the workshops, Neide Almeida asks: “ What is the place of black literature in your reading repertoire?”. The other was led by Goya Lopes, who teaches the Illustration Creation class .
The little ones also had guaranteed space. Saturday 27th morning, the last day of the Festival, was entirely dedicated to children and those who like childhood books, with Stories that enchant and welcome , told by Mira Silva (@sementinhapreta), Helena Nascimento (@atrasdaporta), Mariana Caribé (@mariana_caribe) and Emília Nuñez (@maequele).
Also part of the Festival program, always at 6pm, were book launches. On the 24th, the award-winning 'Migrantes', by Peruvian Issa Watanabe, which was published in Brazil by Solisluna Editora, Selo Emília and Raposa Vermelha. On the 25th, Bahian psychologist Alessandro Marimpietri presented 'When we are one' (Solisluna Editora), written by him and illustrated by Esteban Vivaldi. On the 26th, it was the turn of 'Ducks and sea lions, conversations about literature and youth' (Solisluna Editora and Selo Emília), by Chilean Sara Bertrand. To conclude, on the 27th, Bahian designer and artist Goya Lopes launches 'Tecelagem - an illustrated story' (Solisluna Editora).
