Contemporary Afro-Brazilian Short Fiction

Book excerpt: Although Brazil is the largest Afro-descendant country outside of Africa, the literature produced by Black Brazilians is mostly unknown both in Brazil and abroad. There is a growing worldwide demand for Afro-descendant literature and a demand for decolonial practices and content, especially within Lusophone literature and literature across the Americas. Contemporary Afro-Brazilian Short Fiction emerges from a UCL-sponsored collaborative translation project, bridging Afro-Brazilian literature with a global audience to respond to the worldwide call for Afro-diasporic narratives. This unique compilation of 21 short stories includes both established and emerging Afro-Brazilian voices. The anthology is bilingual, fostering cross-cultural understanding and affirming the legitimacy of pretoguês as a literary language. The texts are presented with three insightful contributions by Ana Cláudia Suriani da Silva (UCL), Julio Ludemir (Flup) and Maria Aparecida Andrade Salgueiro (UERJ). The introductions not only contextualise the short stories, but also engage in theoretical debates, shedding light on the role of literary translation in language teaching and the impact of the Literary Festival of the Peripheries (Flup) in forming a new generation of Black Brazilian writers. Praise for Contemporary Afro-Brazilian Short Fiction ‘Contemporary Afro-Brazilian Short Fiction highlights generational voices spanning from the Quilombhoje literary movement to newly published authors. This bilingual anthology promises to be an asset to the ever-growing Afro-Brazilian literary canon. The gift to scholars and enthusiasts of Afro-Diaspora literature is the access to brilliantly rich creative works.’ Antonio D. Tillis, Rutgers University-Camden ‘This collection showcases the most compelling Black prose penned in contemporary Brazil bringing together a remarkable convergence of generations in a bilingual anthology. Each story is imbued with Black consciousness, transformed into the art of words, offering a powerful portrayal of both present-day and historical Brazil.’ Eduardo de Assis Duarte, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG)