New Edition of ‘Lugar de Fala’: Djamila Ribeiro Kicks Off Sempre um Papo’s 40th Anniversary Celebrations

Djamila Ribeiro will be the first guest in a series of events celebrating the 40th anniversary of Sempre um Papo, one of Brazil’s longest-running and most respected literary programs. The event will take place on Monday, July 13, at 7 p.m., in the auditorium of the Minas Gerais State Court of Accounts (TCEMG) in Belo Horizonte. Admission is free.

At the event, the philosopher and author will launch the expanded edition of Lugar de Fala (Rosa dos Tempos/Record Publishing Group) — published in English as Where We Stand — a book that has become a touchstone in Brazil’s public debate on representation, racism, and democracy. A book signing will follow the discussion. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis and is subject to venue capacity.

A Landmark of Contemporary Brazilian Thought

Originally published in 2017, Lugar de Fala helped popularize in Brazil a key concept for understanding how race, gender, and class shape people’s opportunities to speak and be heard in society. The expanded edition reaches readers at a symbolic moment, opening the celebration of four decades of a program devoted precisely to bringing authors, ideas, and readers together.

Djamila Ribeiro holds a master’s degree in political philosophy from the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp) and has built an academic career spanning continents. Before completing her undergraduate degree at age 32, she spent her Saturdays volunteering as an instructor at Educafro, a college preparatory program for Black and low-income students.

Her teaching career has taken her from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP) to two of the world’s most prestigious universities. In 2024, she was appointed to the Andrés Bello Chair in Latin American Cultures and Civilizations at New York University (NYU), where she taught the graduate-level course “New Civilizational Frameworks through the Lens of Lélia Gonzalez.” She is also a visiting professor at MIT through the Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Professors and Scholars Program — the first Brazilian ever invited to the program.

São Paulo’s former deputy secretary of Human Rights and Citizenship, Ribeiro is also the author of Quem Tem Medo do Feminismo Negro? (Who’s Afraid of Black Feminism?) and the bestselling Pequeno Manual Antirracista (Little Antiracist Handbook), essential works in broadening discussions of race and gender in Brazil.

Four Decades of Conversation

Created in Belo Horizonte by journalist and cultural producer Afonso Borges, Sempre um Papo has become a nationally recognized program promoting free events that bring authors and readers together. Over its 40-year history, it has held more than 9,000 events in cities across Brazil, welcoming writers and thinkers including Ana Maria Gonçalves, Mia Couto, Itamar Vieira Junior, Conceição Evaristo, and Ailton Krenak.

In June 2026, Afonso Borges received the Faz Diferença Award in the Books category from the newspaper O Globo, recognizing his sustained efforts to cultivate new readers and strengthen literature as a tool for social transformation.

The anniversary program will continue throughout the second half of the year with other confirmed guests, including Bruna Lombardi in August and Cristovão Tezza in September. “Sempre um Papo — 40 Years” is sponsored by Copasa and Itaú through Brazil’s Rouanet Law and is organized in partnership with TCEMG and TCE Cultural.

Event Details

Djamila Ribeiro — Discussion and Launch of the Expanded Edition of Lugar de Fala
Date: Monday, July 13, 2026
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: TCEMG Auditorium — Av. Raja Gabaglia 1315, Luxemburgo, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Admission: Free; first come, first served, subject to venue capacity