“Literature is a weapon against the limitations society tries to impose on me,” says Gioveni Martins

In Flip, Paraty, a writer defends writing as a way to fight injustice

SPECIAL ENvoy/PARATY – Literature, for the writer Jehovah Martins, is not just a means of obtaining citizenship. “It’s actually a weapon, a way to fight the limits that society tries to impose on me”, said on the afternoon of Friday 25, at the table of the 20th Paraty International Literary Festival, the Flipnext to the American Ladee Hubbard🇧🇷 “A weapon against misconceptions, designed to disadvantage blacks, of favelas”.

Its trajectory explains this point of view. At the age of 31, Martins is now enjoying the opportunity to make a living in literature, having racked up various jobs, as a “sign man” and clerk in a snack bar and a beach hut. Born in Bangu, Rio de Janeiro, he lived in the community until he discovered his path by attending the workshops of the Literary Festival of the Suburbs, the Flup🇧🇷 It was an opportunity to refine his innate talent, which made itself known with the book of stories The sun overheadpublished in 2018 by Companhia das Letras and soon translated into several languages.

“It is through literature that I develop my obsessions, such as friendship, which is always present in my texts,” he says, who has just launched the novel Via Appia🇧🇷 “Friendship comes out of nowhere and soon acquires an extraordinary meaning in people’s lives, becoming a pillar of their existence.”

That’s why, Martins explains, her writings are dominated by more than one protagonist, building a collective memory often through orality, an inspiration in African literature where tradition is inherited through stories told over generations.

“To write Via Appia it was an opportunity to express myself about my craft: I could write calmly, elaborately,” she said. “I had had this book in my head for 10 years, but I lacked the tools of expression. I read African authors, geared up until I felt confident writing.”

The novel accompanies five young men whose lives are turned upside down when the police invade Rocinha to install a UPP. “Orality is, once again, of fundamental importance, as is the mother figure, who is divided here between affection and beatings”.

Crackland

In Flip’s tent, Gioveni Martins wowed the audience with his heartfelt insights. Like your opinion on drug legalization. “An abusive speech tries to justify that this would allow playboys access to drugs, but this already happens normally”, argued the writer, for whom prohibition is a way for the state to exempt itself from its responsibilities. “The Cracolândias are born of government neglect. And, if Brazil today has the third largest prison population in the world, one of the main causes is the lack of control over drugs”.

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Source: Terra

Camila

Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.