Between Rio and São Paulo, Djamila Ribeiro Draws Crowds and Celebrates a New Chapter for ‘Lugar de Fala’

In a single week, the Brazilian philosopher packed Teatro Cittá, opened the Summit Mulheres nas Profissões, took part in Rio Innovation Week, and visited Record, her new publishing home

Djamila Ribeiro’s week was marked by an intense run of gatherings spanning stages, arenas, and bookstores between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. It all began at Teatro Cittá, in Rio’s Barra da Tijuca neighborhood, where more than 1,200 people came together to hear the writer at the debut of her series of talks on Lugar de Fala (published in English as Where We Stand).

From there, Djamila headed to São Paulo to open the Summit Mulheres nas Profissões (Women in the Professions Summit), created by businesswoman Luiza Trajano. Held at Expo Center Norte, the event brought together some 10,000 participants for a program devoted to women’s leadership, the job market, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The initiative launches a movement that aims to raise women’s share of leadership positions to 50% by 2030. The first event organized by Grupo Mulheres do Brasil, a collective founded in 2013, the Summit featured more than 100 speakers, including Justice Cármen Lúcia of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court.

That same day, the philosopher returned to Rio de Janeiro to take part in Rio Innovation Week, one of Latin America’s largest innovation and technology events, held at Pier Mauá. Under the theme “Symbiosis – the future doesn’t happen in isolation,” the 2026 edition invited reflection on the need for collaboration across fields of knowledge to meet today’s challenges, gathering names such as Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai and physicist Marcelo Gleiser. Djamila shared the stage with journalist Joyce Ribeiro and singer-songwriter Luedji Luna in a conversation about the importance of culture as a form of expression, transformation, diversity, and musicality. After the panel, the author spent nearly two hours at a packed book signing, strengthening her bond with the readers who follow her work.

A New Home, New Voices

The week also marked a symbolic moment in Djamila’s publishing journey: her visit to Editora Record, celebrated as the encounter with her “new home.” At the publisher’s headquarters, the author toured the printing facility, recorded a chapter of the Lugar de Fala audiobook, met part of the team, and signed copies of her books.

The new partnership comes at a special moment for the book. Originally published in 2017, Lugar de Fala has been released in a new, expanded edition under Record’s Rosa dos Tempos imprint. The new version features four previously unpublished chapters, an introduction by Portuguese artist and philosopher Grada Kilomba, and a foreword by Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. In April 2026, the book was named by Folha de S.Paulo one of the best Brazilian nonfiction titles of the 21st century.

Rounding out the week, Djamila sat down with journalist Yasmin Santos to discuss the new edition of Lugar de Fala at Livraria Janela, in Rio de Janeiro.

On social media, the philosopher thanked “everyone for the dialogue and the presence” and closed with the invitation that sums up the spirit of the week: “On to the next!”