More than 2,600 writers apply for the Carolina de Jesus Award

More than 2,600 writers signed up for the Carolina Maria de Jesus Prize for Literature Produced by Women 2023. According to data released by the Ministry of Culture (MinC), organizer of the award, there are entries from all states and the Federal District, totaling 2,623 women. The deadline for entries ended on June 10. R$ 2 million in prizes will be distributed to the 40 authors of the best unpublished works. Each writer will receive R$ 50,000, the highest literary award in the country, according to the ministry. Of the entries, 534 were in the short story category, 222 chronicles, 659 novels, 14 comics and 1,088 poems. The award reserved 20% of the places for black women (at least eight awarded works); 10% for indigenous women (at least four awarded works), 10% for women with disabilities (at least four awarded works), 5% for gypsy women and 5% for quilombola women (at least two awarded works in each category ). The qualification commission will analyze the registrations until the first half of July. Those that do not meet the required requirements will be automatically deleted. The list of classified and unclassified authors will be published on the Ministry of Culture website. Who is Carolina Maria de Jesus The award is a tribute to one of the greatest Brazilian writers of the 20th century. Black, peripheral, single mother and collector of recyclable material, Carolina Maria de Jesus wrote recognized works in Brazil and abroad. Her first book, Quarto de despejo: o diary of a favelada, was published in 1960 and addresses social issues, resistance and the passion for writing. The work has been translated into 13 languages ​​and sold in over 40 countries. Carolina was also a singer and composer, revealing her political and cultural struggle in sambas and marchinhas. Her art also showed the care, love and determination to raise her three children: João José de Jesus, José Carlos de Jesus and Vera Eunice de Jesus Lima, who will be present at the launch of the award. Born in Sacramento, Minas Gerais, on March 14, 1914, Carolina is the author, among other publications, of the books Casa de alvenaria: diary of a former favela; Proverbs; Pieces of Hunger and Bitita’s Diary. She died at age 62 on February 13, 1977.

Agência Brasil