São Paulo – Writer Gilberto Abrão, from Curitiba, will be honoured at the 30th Novo Hamburgo Regional Book Fair, in Rio Grande do Sul, to take place on November 23 to December 2. The author, who has Arab culture as the theme for his works, was selected to be honoured by popular vote on the Internet. Competing with other writers, Abrão got 1,379 votes.
“I think my two novels had great impact as they tell the story of a culture that is considered exotic by the Brazilians,” he pointed out. Abrão’s first book, Mohamed, O Latoeiro (Mohamed, the Tinsmith), was published in 2009, while the second, O muçulmano e a judia (The Muslim and the Jew), was released last year. “I had very good response from the public. My votes were not only from Novo Hamburgo, but also from Porto Alegre, Curitiba, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso and even from abroad. This got me very proud and happy,” he said.
The author reveals that he is already working on one more book, whose temporary title is Os manuscritos de Granada (The manuscripts of Granada). “It is the story of a Brazilian who follows the origins of his father, who he did not meet. He discovers that his father is Andalusian and travels to Spain. In the city of Albuñol, he meets an Arabist who takes him to the house in which his (the protagonist’s) father was born. At the house, they discover a manuscript in Arabic, written by a scribe of the last sultan of Granada. And the scribe was the protagonist’s relative,” explains the writer.
According to Abrão, the plot includes landscapes of the Middle Ages, like the fall of Granada, and modern settings. “Even the language of the text changes according to the time,” he explained. The work should be completed by the end of the year and published in 2013.
As a patron of Novo Hamburgo fair, the author should participate in the opening of the event and will promote talks about Arab culture and Islam. He will also accompany the visitors of the fair and nationally renowned writers who visited the event.
*Translated by Mark Ament
