Rio – and Brazil – Keep on Reading!

Starting off on the right foot is good. Starting in the middle of a whirlwind of books, people, and ideas is even better. Today, I’m writing just a brief account of my eleventh Biennial. :)

I arrived in Rio de Janeiro two weeks ago to take on the operation of Estante Virtual and, right away, dove into the Rio International Book Biennial. I can’t imagine a more symbolic beginning: packed booths, crowded aisles, books everywhere, and a vibrant atmosphere celebrating the power of reading.

The Biennial is more than just a commercial or literary event. It’s a living portrait of the diversity of the Brazilian publishing market and, at the same time, a mirror of the transformations in reader behavior. In just a few days, I saw up close the impact that authors, influencers, and publishers have on the public—especially young people, who show up in large numbers, eyes sparkling and books in hand.

Among the most memorable moments were Raphael Montes filling the Ziraldo Auditorium with 300 people and the meetings with content creators like Paulo Ratz at the Estante Virtual booth, where he spent more than five hours talking to readers, taking photos, and signing autographs. These moments reveal the strength of the direct connection between those who write, those who recommend, and those who read.

More than a book fair, the Biennial is a space for gathering, learning, and discovery. Young readers, children with their parents, educators, librarians, professionals from across the book chain—all circulating, debating, getting emotional. It’s beautiful to witness. Genuine. Inspiring.

Another remarkable aspect is how the event becomes a stage for innovation and trends. Publishers test new formats for activations, authors engage with their audiences through increasingly creative strategies, and the relationship with content becomes more dynamic, multi-format, and interactive. In this sense, the Biennial is also a showcase of how books can integrate with new languages and platforms without losing their essence.

It also serves as a thermometer. The Biennial shows that books remain relevant, even amid so many digital transformations. They change format, language, channel. But they remain central to the experience of those seeking meaning, knowledge, and connection.

This edition of the Biennial left a clear message: there is no future for books without community, without listening, without presence. What happens in those aisles goes far beyond buying and selling copies. It’s where memory, belonging, and passion are built. And that is what sustains any creative ecosystem in the long term.

Being at the Biennial right at the beginning of my professional journey in Rio was a privilege. And a confirmation: if books don’t stop, we can’t stop either. We keep reading, creating, and celebrating this universe that resists, reinvents itself, and keeps pulsing.