When we are faced with the schedule of the XVIII International Congress of Abralic (Brazilian Association of Comparative Literature), which is being held in Salvador until Friday (14), it is difficult not to be attracted by the presence of Angela Davis, an American activist dedicated to feminism black. The 79-year-old teacher came to Salvador to launch her latest book, Abolitionism. Feminism. Yes, and she packed the Ufba Faculty of Law auditorium this Tuesday morning.
But the event’s program goes far beyond the presence of the teacher, who is usually treated as a star in Bahia. Another important presentation is that of Rio de Janeiro literary critic Flora Süssekind, also a professor of theater theory, who participated in a conference on Tuesday (11).
by
Rachel Esteves Lima
“”Flora is one of the biggest literary critics in the country. She works in the field of semiotics and is also linked to visual arts and literature within a broader cultural field. She is a courageous critic because her positions are often misunderstood and divergent from a large portion of the Brazilian intelligentsia “
According to Rachel, Angela Davis herself was keen not to be treated as the center of congressional attention. So much so that the American preferred not to participate in the opening panel on Monday, which was attended by Anielle Franco, Minister of Racial Equality, and writer Conceição Evaristo. The American professor, however, was present to watch the speeches of the guests. According to the organization, around 1,200 people were present at the opening, at the Fiesta Convention Center.
The Ufba professor explains what comparative literature is, which gives its name to the association that promotes the congress: “It is a very open disciplinary field, which assumes a very interdisciplinary characteristic. Comparative literature works with the relations between the arts and between the literature of many countries”.
The program includes the awarding of prizes to Brazilian and foreign intellectuals who have distinguished themselves in the field of comparative literature. One of these awards, the Blaise Cendrars, will be given to Ettore Finazzi-Agrò – professor emeritus at the University of Rome La Sapienza – for promoting Brazilian literature abroad, both in its critical production and in the training of several researchers who are currently active.
The Minas Gerais essayist Silviano Santiago will receive the Tânia Franco Carvalhal award “for his enormous contribution to the development of Comparative Literature in Brazil”, according to the organization of the Congress. Silviano is in Salvador and will receive the honor this Wednesday (12), in a plenary session that starts at 5 pm, mediated by Cássia Lopes.
“We also have a beautiful tribute to Professor Laura Padilha, who was a pioneer in the study of African literature in Brazil”, highlights Rachel. There are also awards for dissertations and theses published in the last two years.
Rachel observes that for some time now, what she calls the “spectacularization” of intellectual life has emerged, and events like the Abralic congress sometimes receive people who haven’t even read certain authors, but still go to the event. “We are not unharmed by this. So, the congress is open to everyone. Angela Davis’ participation was more restricted by her own will”.
Registration for the congress is already closed, but Rachel says that those interested can still attend as listeners, without the right to certificates, at the Ufba campus in Ondina. The debate tables and conferences will be recorded and later made available on Abralic’s YouTube channel.
