Nobel nominee Carlos Nejar honored in Brasília
The poet was recommended for the Nobel Prize for Literature by the
Published on 01/09/2017 - 18:49 By José Romildo reports from Agência Brasil - Brasília
Occupant of chair number four of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, poet Carlos Nejar—nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature 2017—was awarded the title of honorary member of the Brasília Academy of Letters (ALB). The ceremony took place Thursday (Aug 31), at the Portuguese Embassy, in Brasília.
ALB President José Carlos Gentili said that Nejar is not just one of the biggest names in Brazilian literature, but also “one of the world's top 37 poets alive.”
The poet had his name recommended for the Nobel Prize for Literature by the Brazilian Academy of Letters, officially allowed by the Swiss Academy to provide nominations for the award.
“I was honored by the nomination, but my work must speak for itself, because I believe in the power of the word,” the poet said in his address.
Oeuvre
During the ceremony, Gentili referred to Carlos Nejar as a “true living genius” of contemporary poetry, widely read and studied in all linguistic and literary circles across the world. He mentioned the book Somos Poucos (literally, “we are few”), translated into French, as one of his most important works. Gentili went on to note that Nejar has just published his Monumento ao Rio Doce (“monument to river Doce”), also translation into English, about the havoc wreaked by the burst of a dam in the town of Mariana, Minas Gerais, which led to Brazil's biggest environmental disaster.
Corruption
In a reference to corruption—the topic of daily news reports on the radio and television—Carlos Nejar said in his inauguration speech he never gave up on Brazil. He said he never refrained from acknowledging Brazil's grandeur, even though some may “pick and choose” their country.
He went on to say that Brazil “will be more and more esteemed among the nations—its march doesn't recede, its vigor never ages, its culture and art will [continue] to be among the world's highest.”
Translated by Fabrício Ferreira
Fonte: Nobel nominee Carlos Nejar honored in Brasília
Edition: Carolina Pimentel / Nira Foster