This event will introduce the poetry collection entitled Um girassol nos teus cabelos – Poemas para Marielle Franco (Quintal Edições e Mulherio das Letras, 2018). The book brings together selected poems by 50 Brazilian female writers, as a tribute to Rio de Janeiro city councillor and activist Marielle Franco, who was brutally murdered in March. The book was officially launched at the 2018 FLIP - Paraty International Literary Festival, in July.

Um girassol nos teus cabelos portrays the intense reaction of Brazilian society to the crime committed against Franco – who was killed alongside her driver, Anderson Gomes. The murders have been taken up by the national and international media and have generated many events and much debate about the culture of violence in the country. A black single parent, married to a woman and a representative of favela residents, Marielle Franco fought for the rights of minorities in Rio de Janeiro, and at the time of her death she was emerging as a strong political voice with great promise for the years to come. She was the fifth highest voted candidate to be elected to Rio’s City Council in 2016, on behalf of the Socialism and Liberty Party (Psol). Franco was the only black woman among the 51 members of the Council.

Eight months after her execution and its denunciation by global organisations such as Amnesty International and the United Nations, the investigations have still not led to any outcome. The lack of any satisfactory official response to Marielle’s murder reinforces the structural violence suffered by the most vulnerable sectors of the population in Brazil.

This event offers an opportunity to reflect on Marielle’s murder and its implications, and to hear the social concerns expressed in the poets’ voices at this critical moment in the life of the country, as police violence, racial and gender oppression and LGBTQ discrimination have been on the increase. In addition, the audience will be introduced to Mulherio das Letras, a feminist non-profit group of women linked to literature and to the vibrant publishing and activist movement that has been organising poetry collections and other projects since 2013. Alongside the readings, the meeting will be joined remotely by speakers commenting on Marielle Franco’s case from Brazil.

Translation of the poems by David Treece. Readings by Rosane Carneiro and Almiro Andrade.

Fifteen copies of the book will be available for purchase. (Unit price: £ 6)

This event is free, booking is required. 

 

 

Programme 

18:30 - 18:40 Registration

18:40 Welcome and Introduction - David Treece.

18:50 First reading

19:00 Marielle Franco's trajectory - Contextualization: Franco’s upbringing and political career. Main actions as a councillor, by Rosane Carneiro and Almiro Andrade. Video about her trajectory.

19:10 ‘Um girassol nos teus cabelos’ / Mulherio das Letras - The idea of the book and its publication by Mulherio das Letras. Videos:

Marilia Kubota (writer, Mulherio das Letras member and editor) – National commotion x methodology

Micheliny Verunschk (writer, participant) – The political importance of the book

Maria Valéria Rezende (writer, Mulherio das Letras founder) – The group’s voice, its origin and actions

19:35 Second reading

19:50 Committed poetry: political poetry collections in Brazil since 2013 - A survey, by Rosane Carneiro.

20:00 Aftermath - Results of investigations to date. Videos:

Monica Benicio (Politician, activist, architect, Marielle’s widow) – Main obstacles to solving the crime; how to contribute to the cause

Marcelo Freixo (state congressman, Marielle Franco’s friend and mentor) – Is Marielle Franco’s assassination a political crime?

20:25 Third reading

20:40 Concluding remarks - David Treece.