Brazilian Bilingual Book Club
Publicado em
20/07/2022 14h12
Atualizado em
09/12/2025 09h09
The Brazilian Bilingual Book Club, launched in January 2015, meets once a month in a hybrid format (in person and virtually). Our book club champions selected treasures of Brazilian literature from a twenty-first century stance and confutes tired clichés about Brazil’s place in world literature. We read and discuss Brazilian literature for pleasure.
Book club members may choose to read either the original or a translation in English (or any other language available); our meetings and discussions are in English.
The distinguishing feature of the posts of our book club is that they are written as a history of ideas. Brazilian literary works are situated within the intellectual atmosphere of Brazil and the world. Additionally, the posts highlight underrated, or even overlooked, valuable intellectual links between Brazil and the United Kingdom. In her practice as a historian of ideas, Nadia Kerecuk, the creator and convenor of the book club, uses primary sources as a principle. What emerges is a rich picture of continual cross-fertilisation of ideas between world literature and Brazilian literature, and vice-versa.
To join the Brazilian Bilingual Book Club, kindly send an email to nadia.kerecuk@itamaraty.gov.br
The background materials for each book contain a pitch for the book of the month, details of available publications, a short history of the writing of the book and translation(s), a biography of the author with further reference materials. These materials can be freely downloaded using the links below.
Download the Reading List for the second half of 2025
| Date | Book Title / Translated as | Author | Materials |
| 11 December 2025 | A Hora da Estrela (1977) The Hour of the Star |
Clarice Lispector | download |
| 20 November 2025 | Ressurreição (1872) Resurrection |
Machado de Assis | download |
| 23 October 2025 | Pioneering in South Brazil (1878) Novo Caminho no Brasil Meridional |
Thomas Plantagenet Bigg-Wither | download |
| 18 September 2025 | O Punho e a Renda (2010, 2014) His Own Man |
Edgard Telles Ribeiro | download |
| 21 August 2025 | Iracema, Lenda do Ceará (1865) Iracema, the Honey-Lips, a Legend of Brazil |
José de Alencar | download |
| 24 July 2025 | Os Espiões (2009) The Spies |
Luís Fernando Veríssimo | download |
| 19 June 2025 | O Vampiro de Curitiba (1965) The Vampire of Curitiba |
Dalton Trevisan | download |
| 15 May 2025 | A Carne (1888) Flesh |
Júlio Ribeiro | download |
| 24 April 2025 | O Homem que Calculava (1993) The Man who Counted |
Malba Tahan | download |
| 20 March 2025 | Innocencia (1872) Innocencia. A story of the prairie regions of Brazil |
Sylvio Dinarte | download |
| 20 February 2025 | The Bankruptcy (1901) A Fallencia |
Júlia Lopes de Almeida | download |
| 23 January 2025 | History of Brazil (1810) | Robert Southey | download |
| 12 December 2024 | Memorial de Ayres (1908) Counsellor Ayres Memorial |
Machado de Assis | download |
| 14 November 2024 | A Maçã no Escuro (1961) The Apple in the Dark |
Clarice Lispector | download |
| 17 October 2024 | Ópera dos Mortos (1967) The Voices of the Dead |
Autran Dourado | download |
| 19 September 2024 | Dois Irmãos (2000) The Brothers |
Milton Hatoum | download |
| 15 August 2024 | Tenda dos Milagres (1969) Tent of Miracles |
Jorge Amado | download |
| 18 July 2024 | Triste Fim de Policarpo Quaresma (1911) The Sad End of Policarpo Quaresma |
Lima Barreto | download |
| 20 June 2024 | Historia do Futuro (1713) Preliminary Book to the History of the Future |
António Vieira | download |
| 16 May 2024 | Úrsula (1859) | Maria Firmina dos Reis | download |
| 18 April 2024 | Amar, Verbo Intransitivo: Idílio (1927) To Love, Intransitive Verb |
Mário de Andrade | download |
| 21 March 2024 | O Senhor do Lado Esquerdo (2011) The Mystery of Rio |
Alberto Mussa | download |
| 15 February 2024 | Dom Casmurro (1899) | Machado de Assis | download |
| 25 January 2024 | Travels in the Interior of Brazil (1846) | George Gardner | download |
| 14 December 2023 | Uma Aprendizagem (1969) An Apprenticeship |
Clarice Lispector | download |
| 16 November 2023 | Torto Arado (2018) Crooked Plow |
Itamar Vieira Júnior | download |
| 19 October 2023 | Memórias de um Sargento de Milícias (1853) Memoirs of a Militia Sergeant |
Manuel Antônio de Almeida | download |
| 14 September 2023 | O Tempo e o Vento – O Continente (1949) Time and the Wind – The Continent |
Érico Veríssimo | download |
| 10 August 2023 | O Uruguay (1769) The Uruguay |
José Basílio da Gama | download |
| 15 July 2023 | O Alienista (1881) The Alienist |
Machado de Assis | download |
| 22 June 2023 | Marrom e Amarelo (2019) Phenotypes |
Paulo Scott | download |
| 18 May 2023 | Os Velhos Marinheiros (1961) Home is the Sailor |
Jorge Amado | download |
| 20 April 2023 | O Cortiço (1890) A Brazilian Tenement |
Aluísio Azevedo | download |
| 23 March 2023 | A Descoberta do Mundo (1982, 1984) Discovering the World |
Clarice Lispector | download |
| 16 February 2023 | Quincas Borba (1886-1891) The Heritage of Quincas Borba |
Machado de Assis | download |
| 19 January 2023 | Toda Poesia (2013) All Poetry |
Paulo Leminski | download |
| 8 December 2022 | Auto da Compadecida (1955) The Rogue's Trial |
Ariano Suassuna | download |
| 20 October 2022 | Max e os Felinos (1981) Max and the Cats |
Moacyr Scliar | download |
| 22 September 2022 | Grande Sertão: Veredas (1956) The Devil to Pay in the Backlands |
João Guimarães Rosa | download |
| 25 August 2022 | O Guarany (1857) The Guarany |
José de Alencar | download |
| 23 June 2022 | Vida Vertiginosa (1911) Vertiginous Life |
João do Rio | download |
| 19 May 2022 | Cobra Norato (1931) Snake Norato |
Raul Bopp | download |
| 21 April 2022 | Macunaíma (1928) |
Mário de Andrade | download |
| 17 March 2022 | Ressurreição (1972) Resurrection |
Machado de Assis | download |
| 17 February 2022 | Chanaan (1901) Canaan |
José Pereira da Graça Aranha | download |
| 20 January 2022 | Minha Formação (1900) My Formative Years |
Joaquim Nabuco | download |
| 9 December 2021 | 200 Years of Brazilian Poetry | Various authors | download |
| 18 November 2021 | Água Viva (1973) The Stream of Life |
Clarice Lispector | download |
| 21 October 2021 | O Atheneu (1888) The Athenaeum |
Raul Pompeia | download |
| 16 September 2021 | Quarto de Despejo (1960) Beyond All Pity |
Carolina Maria de Jesus | download |
| 19 August 2021 | Pureza (1937) Pureza – A Brazilian Novel |
José Lins do Rego | download |
| 22 July 2021 | Senhora – Perfil de Mulher (1874) Senhora – Profile of a Woman |
José de Alencar | download |
| 17 June 2021 | O Clube dos Anjos (1998) The Club of Angels |
Luís Fernando Veríssimo | download |
| 20 May 2021 | Bons Dias! (1888) Good Days! |
Machado de Assis | download |
| 22 April 2021 | Journal of a Voyage to Brazil (1824) Diário de uma Viagem ao Brasil |
Maria Graham (Lady Callcott) | download |
| 18 March 2021 | A Cabeça do Santo (2014) The Head of the Saint |
Socorro Acioli | download |
| 18 February 2021 | O Rio de Janeiro no Tempo dos Vice-reis (1932) Rio de Janeiro in the Time of the Viceroys |
Luíz Edmundo | download |
| 21 January 2021 | Boca do Inferno (1989) Bay of All Saints and Every Conceivable Sin |
Ana Miranda | download |
| 10 December 2020 | A Cidade Sitiada (1948) The Besieged City |
Clarice Lispector | download |
| 19 November 2020 | Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas (1881) The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas |
Machado de Assis | download |
| 15 October 2020 | O Meu Pé de Laranja Lima (1968) My Sweet Orange Tree |
José Mauro de Vasconcelos | download |
| 17 September 2020 | Vastas Emoções e Pensamentos Imperfeitos (1988) Vast Emotions and Imperfect Thoughts |
Rubem Fonseca | download |
| 20 August 2020 | O Enigma de Qaf (2004) The Riddle of Qaf |
Alberto Mussa | download |
| 16 July 2020 | Borges e os Orangotangos Eternos (2000) Borges and the Eternal Orang-utans |
Luis Fernando Veríssimo | download |
| 11 June 2020 | Primeiras Estórias (1962) The Third Bank of the River and Other Stories |
João Guimarães Rosa | download |
| 20 February 2020 | Laços de Família (1960) Family Ties |
Clarice Lispector | download |
| 16 January 2020 | Innocencia (1872) Innocencia – A Story of the Prairie Regions of Brazil |
Sylvio Dinarte | download |
| 12 December 2019 | Infância (1945) Childhood |
Graciliano Ramos | download |
| 14 November 2019 | Lavoura Arcaica (1975) Ancient Tillage |
Raduan Nassar | download |
| 17 October 2019 | O Filho Eterno (2007) The Eternal Son |
Cristovão Tezza | download |
| 19 September 2019 | O Senhor do Lado Esquerdo (2011) The Mystery of Rio |
Alberto Mussa | download |
| 15 August 2019 | As Três Marias (1939) The Three Marias |
Rachel de Queiroz | download |
| 18 July 2019 | Chanaan (1901) Canaan |
José Pereira da Graça Aranha | download |
| 20 June 2019 | Amar, Verbo Intransitivo: Idílio (1927) To Love, Intransitive Verb |
Mário de Andrade | download |
| 16 May 2019 | A Rainha dos Cárceres da Grécia (1976) The Queen of the Prisons of Greece |
Osman Lins | download |
| 18 April 2019 | Perto do Coração Selvagem (1943) Near to the Wild Heart |
Clarice Lispector | download |
| 21 March 2019 | Contos (1864-1906) Collected Stories of Machado de Assis |
Machado de Assis | download |
| 14 February 2019 | Sinfonia em Branco (2001) Symphony in White |
Adriana Lisboa | download |
| 17 January 2019 | O Homem que Calculava (1993) The Man who Counted |
Malba Tahan | download |
| 13 December 2018 | Max e os Felinos (1981) Max and the Cats |
Moacyr Scliar | download |
| 13 November 2018 | O Risco do Bordado (1970) Pattern for a Tapestry |
Autran Dourado | download |
| 18 October 2018 | Esaú e Jacob (1904) Esau and Jacob |
Machado de Assis | download |
| 20 September 2018 | Barba Ensopada de Sangue (2012) Blood-Drenched Beard |
Daniel Galera | download |
| 16 August 2018 | Tieta do Agreste (1977) Tieta |
Jorge Amado | download |
| 19 July 2018 | Menino de Engenho (1932) Plantation Boy |
José Lins do Rego | download |
| 21 June 2018 | O Lustre (1946) The Chandelier |
Clarice Lispector | download |
| 17 May 2018 | Vida Vertiginosa (1911) Vertiginous Life |
João do Rio | download |
| 19 April 2018 | Dois Irmãos (2000) The Brothers |
Milton Hatoum | download |
| 15 March 2018 | Avalovara (1973) Avalovara |
Osman Lins | download |
| 15 February 2018 | Memorial de Ayres (1908) Counsellor Ayres' Memorial |
Machado de Assis | download |
| 18 January 2018 | Senhora – Perfil de Mulher (1875) Senhora – Profile of a Woman |
José de Alencar | download |
| 7 December 2017 | Minha Vida de Menina (1942) The Diary of 'Helena Morley' |
Helena Morley | download |
| 16 November 2017 | Quarup (1967) Quarup |
Antônio Callado | download |
| 19 October 2017 | Olhai os Lírios do Campo (1938) Consider the Lilies in the Field |
Érico Lopes Verissimo | download |
| 21 September 2017 | 1808 (2007) 1808: The Flight of the Emperor |
Laurentino Gomes | download |
| 17 August 2017 | Innocencia (1872) Innocencia – A Story of the Prairie Regions of Brazil |
Sylvio Dinarte | download |
| 20 July 2017 | Hotel Atlântico (1989) Atlantic Hotel |
Gilberto Noll | download |
| 22 June 2017 | Miss Dollar (1864-1885) Miss Dollar |
Machado de Assis | download |
| 17 May 2017 | Pureza (1937) Pureza – A Brazilian Novel |
José Lins do Rego | download |
| 20 April 2017 | A Maçã no Escuro (1961) The Apple in the Dark |
Clarice Lispector | download |
| 23 March 2017 | Os Sertões: Campanha de Canudos (1902) Rebellion in the Backlands |
Euclides da Cunha | download |
| 16 March 2017 | O Vampiro de Curitiba (1965) The Vampire of Curitiba |
Dalton Trevisan | download |
| 16 February 2017 | Dona Flor e seus Dois Maridos (1966) Dona Flor and her Two Husbands |
Jorge Amado | download |
| 19 January 2017 | Os Espiões (2009) The Spies |
Luís Fernando Veríssimo | download |
| 8 December 2016 | O Meu Pé de Laranja Lima (1968) My Sweet Orange Tree |
José Mauro de Vasconcelos | download |
| 17 November 2016 | Memórias de um Sargento de Milícias (1854) Memoirs of a Militia Sergeant |
Manuel Antônio de Almeida | download |
| 20 October 2016 | Avalovara (1973) Avalovara |
Osman Lins | download |
| 15 September 2016 | As Meninas (1973) The Girl in the Photograph |
Lygia Fagundes Telles | download |
| 18 August 2016 | O Alienista (1881) The Alienist |
Machado de Assis | download |
| 21 July 2016 | O Guarany (1857) The Guarany |
José de Alencar | download |
| 16 June 2016 | O Ateneu (1888) The Athenaeum |
Raul Pompeia | download |
| 19 May 2016 | As Religiões no Rio (1904) Religions in Rio |
João do Rio | download |
| 21 April 2016 | Vidas Secas (1938) Barren Lives |
Graciliano Ramos | download |
| 17 March 2016 | O Homem que Calculava (1938) The Man who Counted |
Malba Tahan | download |
| 18 February 2016 | Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas (1880) The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas |
Machado de Assis | download |
| January 2016 | A Hora da Estrela (1977) The Hour of the Star |
Clarice Lispector | download |
The materials from the first year were published in the book How to Run a Bilingual Book Club - Featuring the First Year of the BRAZILIAN BILINGUAL BOOK CLUB at the Embassy of Brazil in London by Nadia Kerecuk (ISBN 978-1-5272-3265-5).