Lula celebrates the election of Ana Maria Gonçalves, the first black woman to be inducted into the Brazilian Academy of Letters.
The president highlighted the importance of the writer's work for understanding Brazilian history and recalled reading it during his time in prison.
247 - President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva publicly congratulated writer Ana Maria Gonçalves, who became the first black woman elected to the Brazilian Academy of Letters (ABL). In a statement released this Friday (11), Lula said that the author's selection represents a "just recognition of one of the best writers we have today".
Ana Maria Gonçalves was elected on Thursday afternoon (10) to chair nº 33 of the ABL, vacant by the death of academic Evanildo Bechara. The writer obtained 30 votes, surpassing 13 other candidates, and made history by breaking the racial barrier in one of the most traditional literary institutions in the country, which celebrates its 128th anniversary this month.
“The Brazilian Academy of Letters made the right choice in electing Ana Maria Gonçalves as its newest immortal. Ana Maria Gonçalves' work helps us understand Brazilian history, unfortunately marked by the ills of racism and oppression,” stated President Lula. He also revealed that the book “Um Defeito de Cor” (A Flaw of Color), authored by the writer, was a companion during the period he was unjustly imprisoned in Curitiba (PR): “I always make a point of recommending it to everyone.”
Ana Maria Gonçalves, 55 years old, from Ibiá, Minas Gerais, is an advertising professional, writer, screenwriter, and playwright. Her novel "Um Defeito de Cor" (A Flaw of Color) portrays the journey of a girl born in the Kingdom of Dahomey, captured and brought to Brazil as a slave, a narrative that brings to light the struggle against racism and oppression that marked the country's history. The multi-award-winning work inspired the plot of the Portela samba school in the 2024 Carnival, highlighting the main character inspired by the leader of the Malê Revolt, Luísa Mahin.
For the author, the novel represents "the history of the Black struggle in Brazil embodied in a woman who faced the greatest imaginable challenges to stay alive and preserve her heritage and roots."
The election of Ana Maria Gonçalves was celebrated by members of the Academy. Historian and fellow member Lilia Moritz Schwarcz declared the writer's entry a "historic day" and highlighted her importance to Black feminism and the Brazilian cultural debate. Musician and academic Gilberto Gil also welcomed Ana Maria's arrival at the ABL, emphasizing the power and "breath" of her literature.
The writer's victory represents not only a symbolic milestone in the fight for diversity and representation, but also reinforces the importance of literature as an instrument for reflecting on the history and inequalities of Brazil.
