Between 6 and 12 June, Professor Djamila Ribeiro took part in two of France’s leading literary events, completing another stage of her 2025 international tour. Following her engagements in the United Kingdom, she travelled to Saint-Malo and Paris, where she joined public debates, met with readers, and promoted her works translated into French.

Brazil as guest country at Étonnants Voyageurs

Her first stop was Saint-Malo, in Brittany, home to the 34th edition of the Étonnants Voyageurs Festival. This year, Brazil was the festival’s guest country, marking 200 years of diplomatic relations between Brazil and France. The memory of Marielle Franco served as a symbolic theme throughout the programme.

“Happy to be one of the main guest authors at Étonnants Voyageurs, one of France’s most prestigious literary festivals, held annually in Saint-Malo, on the country’s northern coast,” Djamila wrote on social media.

On 7 June, she took part in the festival’s official opening alongside writers such as Leïla Slimani, Lauren Groff and Paul Lynch, with moderation by Olivia Gesbert. Reflecting on the occasion, Djamila shared: “Representing Brazil as one of the main guests at Étonnants Voyageurs, in Saint-Malo, was an honour and also a call to engage in listening and dialogue with Brazilian writers, especially in this year marking 200 years of diplomatic relations between our countries.”

Over the course of three days, Djamila participated in two additional panels. On 8 June, she joined the session “The Voice of Women”, alongside Selva Almada and Delphine Minoui, moderated by Georgia Morisset at La Grande Passerelle. On 9 June, she spoke at the table “For an Amefrican Literature”, with Eliana Alves Cruz, Daniel Munduruku and Jeferson Tenório, moderated by Audrey Pulvar, at the Théâtre Chateaubriand.

In addition to the panels, she gave interviews to outlets such as TV France 3, the newspaper Ouest-France, and Libération, and took part in book signing sessions. “I reconnected with long-time readers and met new ones. The book for Dona Antônia captivated the audience,” she shared.

Four books sold out

At the close of her time in Saint-Malo, Djamila celebrated the complete sell-out of four of her five books published in French: Lugar de Fala, Pequeno Manual Antirracista, Diálogos Transatlânticos, and Cartas para minha avó (Ta Magie M’A Menée Jusqu’Ici: Lettres À Ma Grand-Mère), recently released.

“When we took the stage to packed theatres this week, we delivered. We’re sharp, and we’ve been preparing for this for a long time,” she wrote. “The result of this engagement is right here in these first images: 4 out of my 5 books completely sold out. Not even the display copies remained.”

On her social channels, Djamila made a point of publicly thanking Paula Anacaona, her editor and translator in France: “Your work as an editor is, for me, an act of resistance and love. Translating so many Black, Indigenous and dissident Brazilian voices into French is writing another chapter in the cultural relations between our countries.” She also expressed gratitude to Guillaume Dimitri from the Anacaona team.

Book launch and interviews in Paris

From Saint-Malo, Djamila headed to Paris, where, on 11 June, she appeared live on the international news channel France 24, speaking about Cartas para minha avó, the positive audience reception at Étonnants Voyageurs, and the international edition of Lugar de Fala (Where We Stand), published by Yale University Press.

“The interview was broadcast across all countries reached by the channel — places I can’t even imagine. And it was all recorded for my documentary,” she wrote.

That same evening, she met with readers at the independent bookshop Le Mont en l’air, in an event moderated by Professor Mame Fatou Niang. In her thanks to the audience, Djamila reflected: “Publishing is also about sharing, about building meaning collectively, challenging certainties and, hopefully, creating space for other ways of dreaming.”

Tour continues

“The France leg has come to an end, but it leaves marks that won’t fit in my luggage,” she wrote in a post on 12 June.

Djamila Ribeiro’s international tour now continues to South Africa. Further updates coming soon. Follow along on Instagram.

Content translated with the assistance of AI.