Text: Mateus Miranda, edited by Alice Martins Morais and with information from Nilson Cortinhas
Photo of layer: Philip Bishop
The new model of sustainable development in the Amazon also involves literature. This is the message conveyed in “Sempre um Papo”, the agenda that closed the II International Conference on the Amazon and New Economies, today (8), in Belém. Moderated by journalist and writer Zeca Carmago, the chat was attended by writers Eduardo Góes Neves, Valter Hugo Mãe and Trudruá Dorrigo.
During the conversation, participants spoke about a variety of topics, with greater attention to Brazilian reality, history and indigenous peoples, in front of a packed auditorium at the Hangar Convenções & Feiras da Amazônia.
Valter Hugo Mãe emphasized that "the future does not come from European thinking". In addition, he highlighted the historical and cultural relevance of indigenous people, in addition to the renewed feelings he has when he is in Brazil.
"When I come here, I have the feeling that we finally have the opportunity to go back to the beginning. It is indeed something that comes from the origin of the world. Although the world is threatened, all that indigenous people propose is survival," commented Valter Hugo, Portuguese writer, author of "As Doenças do Brasil" and "Deus na Escuridão".
Indigenous representative in the conversation, Trudruá Dorrico, master and doctor in literature, writer and author of "Originários", highlighted the impacts that indigenous peoples have experienced since the moment that Brazilian territory began to take on the shape of a country.
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"We invite Brazil to join us in this 524-year-old battle. We have been through very complex processes. The arrival of indigenous rights in 1988 changed our relationship with Brazilian society a lot - for better or for worse. When the institution was implemented, little by little, our Makuxi language suffered, for example. My grandmother and my mother speak it well, but I don't [speak it] fluently," she explained. Her work will be the theme of Boi Caprichoso, in 2025, during the Parintins Festival.
"Reading and writing indigenous literature is an action that improves my self-esteem and identity. We need to broaden our debate on the indigenous racial issue. Who are these indigenous people who are outside of these ethical and racial issues, who are outside of this debate?", asked Trudruá.
Eduardo Góes Neves is an archaeologist, writer and author of "Arqueologia da Amazonia". Based on this professional experience, he highlights the connection that the topics have, but that it is important to prioritize the future.
"These are drastic changes that happen very quickly. And our generation is responsible for this. We work with a time scale that is thousands of years old. We see a lot of things that went right and wrong. But there is also a lot of imagination, and it has to be used to build a better future. The past can give us some information," Eduardo pointed out.
"Always a Chat" on Thursday (7). Credits: IBRAM Disclosure
Autumn, Plow and River
On Thursday night (7), the conference program also closed with “Sempre um Papo”, which had as participants the Brazilian literature writers Airton Souza, Carla Madeira and Itamar Vieira Junior, with mediation by Sérgio Abranches.
Everyone reflected and analyzed the Amazon and literature. Author of more than 50 books, Airton Souza was born in Marabá, and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be alongside writers who inspired him. He also shared details about the first romance novel he wrote.
"With literature, we can leave certain places and reconnect with human beings. I would like to thank you for this. It is a dream of my mother and father that has also come true. So, Autumn of Strange Meat is my first published novel. It is the reunion of 101 thousand men who abandoned their homes and thousands of women who crossed the Northeast to come to Pará. It is an open wound, and it continues to hurt," said Airton Souza. The work portrays the lives of four characters who live in the context of an authoritarian government.
On the other hand, Carla Madeira, author of several books, such as "Tudo é Rio", highlighted the critical and explanatory role of literature. "Why are we collectively producing a different reality? Perhaps the role of literature is to illuminate this place to understand and experience the human condition. For us, who knows, to make a turn and live our experience on earth in a different way ", he reflected.
According to Itamar Vieira, author of "Torto Arado", a book with over a million copies sold, literature and the Amazon are directly interconnected. "When I talk about literature, I always say that it is a profession of faith. You have to put yourself in a position of complete surrender for it to make sense. When we think of the Amazon, we think of this environmental heritage. It is important to remember that the Amazon is also made up of people and culture. And they are the ones who kept it standing," he said.
Always a Chat
Created in Belo Horizonte by cultural manager Afonso Borges, in 1986, Sempre Um Papo is a cultural project that promotes meetings between names in literature and national and international personalities with the public, live, in auditoriums and theaters.
The project has already carried out activities in 30 cities and promoted more than eight thousand events, which brought together an audience of over 2.5 million people. Belém is hosting the project for the third time. The two previous editions were in 2007 and 2008.
In 2024, at the invitation of the Brazilian Mining Institute (IBRAM), another activity will take place within the “International Conference on the Amazon and New Economies” this Friday (8). The event will feature the participation of Valter Hugo Mãe, Eduardo Góes Neves, Trudruá Dorrico and Zeca Camargo, at 2 pm, also at Hangar. After the panels, the authors will sign books. Admission is free, with advance registration on the event website.
A special coverageAmazônia Vox at the International Conference on the Amazon and New Economies is brought to you by Vale.