Djamila Ribeiro Confirmed for 6th Brasília International Book Biennial

Event returns after four years and expects to welcome about 30,000 people for conversations on literature, education, music and technology

Djamila Ribeiro has been confirmed for the 6ª Bienal Internacional do Livro de Brasília (6th Brasília International Book Biennial — BiLB), which will take place Aug. 17-23, 2026, at the Museu Nacional da República (National Museum of the Republic). Admission is free.

The event is being held for the first time in four years, with about 30,000 people expected to attend during the seven-day program.

The Brazilian philosopher joins a guest lineup that includes Leonardo Boff, Criolo, Gabriel O Pensador and Zeca Baleiro.

Under the theme “Ler o Amanhã” (“Reading Tomorrow”), the Biennial will bring together literature, education, critical thought, music, technology and the creative economy as it resumes its place on the Federal District’s cultural calendar.

The full program, including schedules, venues and participants, will be announced later this week, along with a link to reserve free tickets through Sympla.

Djamila’s participation is part of a program that treats reading as more than just access to books, connecting it to critical thinking and the circulation of different perspectives on society. A writer, professor and philosopher, she has built much of her intellectual career around examining how racial and gender inequalities shape which authors are read, which forms of knowledge are considered legitimate and who is given space to produce ideas.

The event is organized around six thematic tracks. “Autores – Vozes do Amanhã” (“Authors – Voices of Tomorrow”) will feature literary panels, talks, debates and masterclasses. The other tracks are “Criança – Ler o Mundo” (“Children – Reading the World”), “Multimeios – Conexões do Futuro” (“Multimedia – Connections of the Future”), “Música – O Som da Leitura” (“Music – The Sound of Reading”), “Mercado – Economia Criativa e Livro” (“Market – Creative Economy and Books”) and “HQ – Universo em Quadrinhos” (“Comics – The Comics Universe”). Details of Djamila’s appearance have not yet been announced.

Organizers say authors, artists, illustrators and musicians from the Federal District will also be featured, helping work produced in Brasília and other administrative regions reach broader audiences.

History

Established in 2012, the Biennial is entering its sixth edition after drawing more than 1.5 million visitors across its first five editions. Organizers report that the event has hosted about 800 invited writers and representatives from more than 60 countries, along with about 680 book launches.

The Biennial has also recorded sales of about 950,000 books and more than R$18.6 million in economic activity since its creation.

The 2026 edition aims to connect that history with contemporary debates. Technological change, artificial intelligence, climate change and new ways of producing and sharing knowledge are among the topics on the agenda. By choosing “Ler o Amanhã” (“Reading Tomorrow”) as its theme, the Biennial places reading at the center of those transformations as a tool for critically interpreting the world now taking shape.

The event also comes as Brazil’s Centro-Oeste (Central-West) region stands out in the 2024 Retratos da Leitura no Brasil (Portraits of Reading in Brazil) survey by the Instituto Pró-Livro (Pro-Book Institute). Organizers cite the survey as showing that the Central-West was the only region in the country to record growth in its share of readers in recent years.

Event Details

6ª Bienal Internacional do Livro de Brasília — BiLB (6th Brasília International Book Biennial)
Dates: Aug. 17-23, 2026
Venue: Museu Nacional da República (National Museum of the Republic) — Brasília, Federal District
Admission: Free
Full program: To be announced Aug. 12
Tickets: Free reservations through Sympla, with the link to be published on the Biennial’s official channels