Join LAB, Brazil Matters, and Amnesty International UK Latin America coordinators for the launch of Bernardo Kucinski’s novella ‘The Congress of the Disappeared’, translated by Tom Gatehouse and published by Latin America Bureau and Practical Action Publishing.
LAB is teaming up with London-based organization Brazil Matters and Amnesty International UK Latin America co-ordinators to celebrate the launch of our new English PEN-awarded title The Congress of the Disappeared by Bernardo Kucinski, translated by Tom Gatehouse.
The author will be visiting the UK to speak to you about the book, and we’ll also hear from the book’s translator Tom Gatehouse, the Brazil Matters founder Ali Rocha, and Amnesty International UK Latin America co-ordinators Sheila Royce and Xavier Wiltshire.
When: Tuesday 7 October, 6:30pm
Where: Photobook café, 4 Leonard Circus, London EC2A 4DQ (near Old Street)
Tickets: Via Eventbrite or on the door
Pre-order your copy of the book with your ticket purchase to save £4.99 on cover price.
In Kucinski’s novella, the ghosts of those disappeared by Brazil’s military dictatorship come together and organize a congress. Together, these ghosts tell the story of what happened to them, reflect critically on their past militancy, and debate how to respond to the ‘outbreak of fascism’ of the Bolsonaro period.
These veterans from the struggle of the 1960s and 70s are joined in this endeavour by some iconic figures from Brazilian history, as well as more recent victims of state and para-state violence. These include young black men killed in the favelas, Indigenous Brazilians, and people murdered in the countryside for opposing the expansion of agribusiness and wildcat mining.
In the imagined space of the congress, Kucinski draws a line from the state violence of Brazil’s military dictatorship (and since) to the genocide and slavery of the colonial period in Latin America. He gives a voice to the victims, especially the disappeared, allowing them to challenge the attempt to erase them from history and denounce a culture of impunity which continues to pollute Brazilian politics today.
We hope to see you at the London launch on October 7. Tickets here.
