“The sertanejo is, above all, a strong man”. The phrase that has become a symbol of the resilience of people from the Northeast in the face of drought was written almost 120 years ago in the pages of Os Sertões.
The author, Euclides da Cunha, coined the expression when he narrated the bravery of the sertanejo in facing the Army, in an unequal war for the permanence in Canudos.
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In the work, a classic of national literature, Euclides faced his own prejudice to see the conflict. Little by little, he let his guard down and let the reader see how the situation challenged his vision of Brazil.
Due to the dimension of Os Sertões, Euclides da Cunha will be honored this year by the 17th Literary Festival Internacional de Paraty (Flip), between the 10th and 14th of July, in the traditional historic city in the south of Rio State.
The city, by the way, could become a World Heritage Site, a title given by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – Unesco.
The choice of participants was made by journalist Fernanda Diamant, who chose 33 authors from 10 nationalities. Most are women. They will discuss Brazil today and Os Sertões.
“Os Sertões can be considered one of the first Brazilian non-fiction classics. It mixes journalism, geography, philosophy, social and scientific theories – many of them outdated – to talk about a country in transition”, says the curator, in a note from the organization.
“The work changed the understanding that people had about the interior of the country and the sertanejo. In addition to being great literature from the point of view of form, it makes moral, political and social criticisms that are highly relevant in Brazil today. More than anything, it shows the existential transformation of a man who comes into contact with an unknown reality and needs to reorganize his values ”, he explains.
Euclides da Cunha's relationship with different languages – he was also a professor, historian, geographer, engineer and journalist, he was a correspondent for Jornal Estado in the Guerra de Canudos – he guided the healer.
Diamant promises 21 tables in the program that discuss current affairs from the point of view of various art forms. This year's debates will be shorter, lasting 45 minutes and can be in the form of a conference, performance or interview.
For dialogue, Flip brings young exponents of national and international literature. Among them, the Cordelist from Ceará Jarid Arraes, author of Heroínas Negras Brasileiras em 15 Coréis, the writer North American Kristen Roupenian, of Cat Person, and Portuguese Grada Kilomba, author of Plantation Memories: episodes of everyday racism. Kilomba has re-signified the concept of the “other”, created by Simone de Beauvoir – who defends that the woman is the “other” in relation to the man.
For her, the black woman is “the other of the other”, for being neither white nor a man. She has already been mentioned as one of the influences of the Brazilian philosopher Djamila Ribeiro.
Another prominent young writer is Nigerian Ayobami Adebayo, of the award-winning novel Stay with Me.
“Adébáyò's writing is lively and captivating, the book [Fique Comigo] is one of those that you can't put down. It is a moving and emotionally strong story about family relationships. This narrative and questions about tradition and modernity, masculine and feminine, create a great literary debut”, highlights Diamant, in the author's profile on the Flip website.
Among well-known names, participating in Flip this year are historian José Murilo de Carvalho, professor of theory literary Walnice Galvão, who opens the party, and the writer and literary critic Marilene Felinto – winner of an award tortoise.
They discuss the country of Os Sertões and the current one. “In his texts, Felinto touches on issues of gender, race and social condition in Brazil in an original way without losing relevance, at the same time in a lyrical and ironic way”, adds the curator.
Still within the current context, José Miguel Wisnik starts from Carlos Drummond de Andrade's criticism of mining activity to discuss the environmental disasters in the cities of Brumadinho and Mariana.
The topic also relies on the expertise of journalist Cristina Serra, author of a series of reports on Mariana. Enters the discussion, bringing debate on global warming, the American journalist David Wallace-Welles, from the New Yorker.
Parallel to the official program, 22 partner houses organize exhibitions, lectures and conversation circles with artists and authors.
The schedule for these spaces will be announced in the coming weeks. Performances by big names in music are also expected.
Tickets for Flip go on sale on June 3 and cost R$55.
The organizers intend to set up a tent named Auditorio da Matriz, in reference to the Igreja da Matriz, with capacity for 512 people. Another tent, with 700 seats, will be set up for those who want to witness the reproduction of the events for free.
