Djamila Ribeiro releases the new book ‘Travessias’ in Portugal
Edited by Zeferino Coelho, the book features a selection of articles from Folha de S.Paulo and a new introduction by the author
Brazilian philosopher and writer Djamila Ribeiro will launch her new book, Travessias, in November, exclusively in Portugal, published by Editorial Caminho (Leya Group). Already available for pre-order on the publisher’s website, the book brings together a curated selection of articles written by Djamila during the first two years of her column in Folha de S.Paulo.
Edited by Zeferino Coelho—renowned for introducing Portuguese readers to the works of Nobel laureate José Saramago—Travessias follows the success of Cartas para minha avó, published in 2024. The new release strengthens Djamila’s presence in the Portuguese literary market and expands the reach of her intellectual production in Europe.
“Issues of racism are not purely Brazilian—they are also Portuguese. And the issues of machismo are not exclusive to Brazil either,” highlights the editor, emphasizing the relevance of Djamila’s thought in Portuguese society.
With accessible language and analytical depth, the texts in Travessias address structural racism, public policy, Black feminism, culture, and education. The selection allows readers to follow how the author’s key concepts—already elaborated in works like Pequeno Manual Antirracista (The Little Anti-Racist Handbook) and Lugar de Fala (Place of Speech)—were applied to Brazil’s political and social landscape in real time, between 2019 and 2021.
In a newly written introduction, Djamila introduces herself to the Portuguese public:
“I was first published in Portugal in 2024. The book Cartas para a minha Avó crossed the seas and introduced me to a new audience of readers. Still, I feel the need to introduce myself.”
She then reconstructs her personal and intellectual background:
“I was raised by a dockworker and union activist and a domestic worker who practiced Candomblé. There was no room for alienation: we knew we were part of a Black working-class family and understood the consequences of starting from that place.”
This perspective—rooted in lived experience, activism, and theoretical reflection—is the core of Djamila’s work and now finds new resonance in dialogue with Portuguese society. As Zeferino Coelho notes:
“Djamila, who deals with these issues perhaps more intensely in Brazil, is in an excellent position to speak to us about racism and anti-feminism.”
The release of Travessias reaffirms Djamila Ribeiro’s role as a bridge between different contexts, united by the structural inequalities that mark contemporary societies.
📖 To pre-order the book, visit: Editorial Caminho: Editorial Caminho
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