São Paulo – The literary work of Brazilian and Arab women will be one of the topics of the 4th World Conference of Brazilian Writers Abroad, set to take place in the city of Erlangen, Germany, from October 12 to 15. Brazilian professor Roberto Khatlab, director of the Latin American Studies and Cultures Center (Cecal) of the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (Usek) in Lebanon, the lone representative of the Middle East in the event, will be the speaker on this subject.
On October 14, Khatlab will take part in the panel “Thoughts on the feminization of the Brazilian literature abroad”. “This is the fourth meeting we organize. We noticed that 70% of [Brazilian] writers abroad are women. Brazilian women that married abroad or who were studying and who, at a certain point, started to write and publish”, says the professor.
According to him, there are authors writing in Portuguese and others writing in the language of the country that they are living in. Khatlab explains that among the books there are many novels, but that education, with a focus on children’s books, is also a recurring theme in the works of these Brazilian authors. “This really helps Brazilian families abroad to ensure that their kids keep in touch with Brazilian books. There is a concern for these children not to lose touch with Portuguese”, he adds.
On October 15, the Usek professor will give the lecture “Women writers in Lebanon”. Khatlab will talk about the work of Lebanese women writers, who rose to prominence after the 1920s. “They stood out with themes such as the right to freedom of speech”, he points out.
According to the professor, the most ancient author known is princess Enheduana, who lived in the region that is now Iraq during century 22 B.C. He says that the first texts signed by a woman in cuneiform writing were written by her. Cuneiform writing was developed by the Sumerians around 3,500 B.C.
In the 20th century, Khatlab highlights the works of Lebanese Maiy Ziade. “She fought for women’s rights in society, lived in Egypt and was a friend of Gibran Khalil Gibran. She provided the basis for other women to start writing and express themselves”, he says. The professor will also talk about other Lebanese women writers who migrated to Europe and who, with the contact with Western women, experienced more freedom in in literature and in other areas of society.
In the lecture, Khatlab will also talk about the work of two contemporary Brazilian writers that published works online in Portuguese in Lebanon: Shadia Kobeisse, who founded the Beirut Gazette, currently out of print, and Viviane Carvalho, who writes and edits the online magazine Connection Beirut and was the topic of an ANBA report. Among contemporary Lebanese writers, he mentions the works of Joumana Haddad and Huda Barakat.
The 4th World Conference of Brazilian Writers Abroad will take place at the Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. Brazilians Elsse Vieira and Jamile Staniek are the conference’s organizers. The event is also supported by the Bavarian University Center for Latin America of the Erlangen-Nürnberg University. It will be open to the public and attended by Portuguese-speaking German students. The event will be presented in Portuguese.
Quick facts
4th World Conference of Brazilian Writers Abroad
Where: Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Kollegienhaus, Universitätsstr. 15, 91054 Erlangen, Senatssaal, 1st floor
Opening ceremony: October 12, at 6 pm
October 13 and 14, from 9 am to 5 pm
October 15, from 9 am to 3 pm
The panel “Thoughts on the feminization of the Brazilian literature abroad” is scheduled for October 14, at 3 pm. The lecture “Women writers in Lebanon” is scheduled for October 15, at 1:30 pm.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani