An Evening Celebrating Culture at Espaço Feminismos Plurais

Espaço Feminismos Plurais (Plural Feminisms Space) hosted an evening featuring playwright and novelist Maria Adelaide Amaral and historian and author Leandro Karnal.

In partnership with Brazil’s Ministry of Culture, Instituto Feminismos Plurais (Plural Feminisms Institute) hosted a conversation on July 3 moderated by institute president Djamila Ribeiro. The discussion explored literature, memory, and how the passage of time shapes both people’s lives and their work. Titled “Livros, Afetos e Memórias” (“Books, Affection, and Memories”), the event wove personal and creative journeys together through the stories shared onstage.

The guests and Djamila share a connection that predates the event: all three are members of the Academia Paulista de Letras (São Paulo Academy of Letters).

Born in Portugal, Maria Adelaide Amaral has lived in Brazil since age 12. A playwright and novelist with a degree in journalism, she is best known onstage for Bodas de Papel (Paper Anniversary), O Abre-alas (Opening the Way), De Braços Abertos (With Open Arms), and Minha Querida Mamãe (My Dear Mother), all winners of the Molière Award.

On television, she became known for miniseries such as A Muralha (The Conquest), Os Maias (The Maias), A Casa das Sete Mulheres (Seven Women), and Um Só Coração (One Heart). She also published the novel Luísa Quase uma História de Amor (Luísa: Almost a Love Story), which won the Jabuti Award in 1986.

At 82, Amaral moved the audience with memories from a career spanning several decades of Brazilian cultural history. After the conversation, she took part in a packed book signing.

Leandro Karnal holds a PhD in History from the University of São Paulo (USP) and completed postdoctoral research at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). He spent nearly two decades as a professor at the University of Campinas (Unicamp).

A columnist for the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo, Karnal has sold more than three million books. During the event, he paired thoughtful observations with humor, drawing laughter from the audience while addressing more complex questions about life, time, and meaning.

On Instagram, Espaço Feminismos Plurais summarized the atmosphere of the evening:

“It was a night of meaningful exchanges as well as great lightness. With his characteristic generosity and intelligence, Leandro Karnal gave us moments of genuine laughter and profound reflections on our own paths. Beside him, Maria Adelaide Amaral moved us with her memories and, immediately after the conversation, warmed the audience’s hearts during a wonderful, well-attended book signing.”

Djamila’s participation also received special mention in the post. She guided the conversation with the perspective of someone deeply familiar with the power of storytelling:

“Our president, Djamila Ribeiro, moderated the conversation and witnessed firsthand the affection that flowed between the guests and the audience.”

Care and Culture

Founded by Djamila Ribeiro in 2022, Instituto Feminismos Plurais is a nonprofit organization that supports women experiencing social vulnerability through care services, educational programs, and projects designed to promote autonomy, dignity, and social justice.

In addition to the free assistance it provides every day, Espaço Feminismos Plurais (Plural Feminisms Space) hosts cultural events that connect the public with writers and contemporary debates.

Photo: Rodrigo Trevisand Dias