Jabuti, Brazil’s most traditional and important literary award, has announced the names of the winners in the 48th incarnation of the prize. For each of 19 categories there are three finalists.
The best novel award went to Milton Hatoum with Cinzas do Norte (North Ashes) published by Cia das Letras. Domingos Pellegrini and Godofredo de Oliveira Neto tied in second, while Edgard Telles Ribeiro came in third.
With 312 pages, Cinzas do Norte is presented as "a moral tale" of Hatoum’s own generation. The narrative starts with two boys growing up in the 1950s, in Manaus, the capital of Amazon state. Hatoum wrote two other books, which also won a Jabuti: Relato de um Certo Oriente (Tale of a Certain East) and Dois Irmãos (Two Brothers).
In the category of short stories, Marcelino Freire, who wrote Contos Negreiros (Slavery Short Stories) published by Record, got first place. Silviano Santiago came in second and Mário Araújo in third.
Brazil has still great poets, old and younger ones. Veteran poet Affonso Romano de Sant’Anna won first place with Vestígios (Vestiges) by Rocco publishing house. Poet Ruy Espinheira Filho and Domingos Pellegrini followed him in second and third places, respectively.
First place in biographies went to biography expert journalist Ruy Castro. He wrote Carmem, Uma Biografia, the life story of Carmem Miranda. Orestes Barbosa came next with Repórter, Cronista e Poeta Carlos Didier. followed by Daniel Piza. who wrote Machado de Assis: Um Gênio Brasileiro, about the life of Brazil’s most important writer.
Among others nominated for the prize were rapper Gabriel O Pensador, who won for best child book: Um garoto chamado Rorbeto (A Boy Called Rorbeto) and translator Mamede Mustafa Jarouche. who for the first time translated directly from the Arab the Livro das Mil e uma Noites (The Book of One Thousand and One Nights).
The selected books were drawn from a list of 2074 works. There were 115 novels, 111 poetry books and 179 books for children. The prizes and the announcement of the winners of Book of the Year (fiction and non-fiction) will happen September 13.
Here are a few of the Jabuti winners:
Novel
1. Cinzas do Norte, by Milton Hatoum
Companhia das Letras
2. Meninos no Poder, by Domingos Pellegrini
Editora Record
Menino Oculto, by Godofredo de Oliveira Neto
Editora Record
3. Olho de Rei, by Edgard Telles Ribeiro
Editora Record
Short Stories
1. Contos Negreiros, by Marcelino Freire
Editora Record
2. Histórias Mal Contadas, by Silviano Santiago
Rocco
3. A Hora Extrema, by Mário Araújo
Editora 7letras
Poetry
1. Vestígios, by Affonso Romano de Sant’anna
Rocco
2. Elegia de Agosto, by Ruy Espinheira Filho
Bertrand Brasil
3. Gaiola Aberta, by Domingos Pellegrini
Bertrand Brasil
Biography
1. Carmen – Uma Biografia, by Ruy Castro
Companhia das Letras
2 Orestes Barbosa – Repórter, Cronista e Poeta, by Carlos Didier
Agir Editora
3. Machado de Assis: Um Gênio Brasileiro, by Daniel Piza
Imprensa Oficial
Translation
1. Livro das Mil e Uma Noites, by Mamede Mustafa Jarouche
Editora Globo
2. A Balada do Velho Marinheiro, by Alípio Correia de Franca Neto
Ateliê Editorial
3. Ulisses, by Bernardina da Silveira Pinheiro
Editora Objetiva
Essays and Literary Criticism
1. O Local da Diferença, by Márcio Seligmann-Silva
Editora 34
2. Fragmentos de uma Deusa, by Giuliana Ragusa
Editora da Unicamp
3. Clarice Lispector com a Ponta dos Dedos, by Vilma Arêas
Companhia das Letras
Journalistic Work
1. Operação Araguaia – Arquivos Secretos da Guerrilha, by Taís Morais e Eumano Silva
Geração Editorial
2. Juízes no Banco dos Réus, by Frederico Vasconcelos
Frederico Vasconcelos
3. Já vi este Filme – Reportagem (e polêmicas) sobre Lula e o PT (1984-2005), by Luiz Maklouf Carvalho
Geração Editorial