In recent weeks, a Russian classic published in 1886 reached the top of Brazil’s bestselling books list. Google searches for the title rose by 180%, and hundreds of people organized themselves to read and discuss the book together. We could be talking about a BookTok phenomenon, a newly released streaming adaptation, or a particularly successful campaign by a publisher. But we’re talking about soccer. Gustavo Scarpa, a midfielder for Atlético Mineiro (Brazilian Soccer Club), posted a review...

During one of the panels I joined at FLIP, I had a conversation that stayed with me. It was a discussion about secondhand books with Guilherme Moura, founder of Casa do Leitor, an independent bookstore in the small town of Bom Jesus dos Perdões, in the countryside of São Paulo. He told us that when he decided to open the town's first and only bookstore, many people thought he was crazy. A town that size, they said, simply wasn't interested in books. Opening a bookstore would be a mistake. As...

In a world obsessed with launches, perhaps the greatest value lies in permanence. In our industry, we have always had an almost ritualistic relationship with novelty. The release of the week. The pre-order. The featured table at the bookstore. The bestseller list. The next TikTok phenomenon. The hype of the moment. It’s no coincidence that every month publishers define their bets: the titles that will be highlighted and receive the largest share of the marketing budget. And there is nothing...