September 7th marks the Independence of Brazil, a day of national and historic significance. This year’s celebration that takes on even greater importance, as it will be the day’s 200 year anniversary.
Wellington City Libraries and the Embassy of Brazil are forging even stronger ties, following the success of our recent collaborative event ‘Discover Brazil at the Library’. We celebrated the Embassy of Brazil’s generous gifting of ‘Ngā Kupu Nō Parihi 19 : Ngā Ahurea Iwi Taketake | Texts from Brazil 19 : Indigenous Cultures’, a te reo Māori | English bilingual publication featuring essays on Brazilian indigenous peoples and cultures. Exclusive to our Wellington City Libraries’ collection, the newly translated edition aims to reach the largest possible readership in Aotearoa New Zealand, bearing testament to Brazil’s ongoing commitment to social inclusiveness and cultural diversity. Paired with stunning historical photographs, this book offers a rich overview of the diverse indigenous cultures in Brazil and documents the profound influence the first inhabitants of Brazil had in shaping the nation’s culture and the Brazilian way of life.
If you’re visiting Te Awe Library this week we have a special display of Brazilian authors, music, graphic novels, and non fiction books available to borrow. A special information guide on Brazilian resources is available at the information desk. Check out our extensive resources surrounding Brazil, its unique culture and extraordinary people to celebrate Sete de Setembro in Aotearoa!
Brazil : a biography / Schwarcz, Lilia Moritz
“Brazil is a land of contradictions: vast natural resources and entrenched corruption; extraordinary wealth and grinding poverty; beautiful beaches and violence-torn favelas. Brazil occupies a vivid place in the global imagination. In an extraordinary journey that spans 500 years, Brazil offers a rich, dramatic history of this complex country. Reconstructing the epic story of the nation by following the shifting byways of food, art, and popular culture, to reveal a long process of unfinished social, political, and economic progress and struggle. (Adapted from Catalogue)
Brazil futebol : football to the rhythm of the samba beat / Radnedge, Keir
” Brazil Futebol captures the spirit of the world’s premier soccer-playing nation. It begins in the 1870s, when the sport was introduced; recounts the unprecedented success of the national team, and profiles the superstar players. But the book goes beyond, to provide a deeper commentary on the importance of the game in o país do futebol — the country of soccer”. (Adapted from Catalogue)
Brazil modern : the rediscovery of twentieth-century Brazilian furniture / Chen, Aric
“Twentieth century Brazilian design is perhaps the last great largely unknown tradition of modernism, characterised by rich and sensually textured hardwoods and an ingenuity of grace and simplicity that exemplify the national character of ‘brasilidade’. This book surveys the history and legacy of this innovative design tradition. Brazil modern is the first comprehensive guide to this untapped vein of modernist design.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
The collector of leftover souls : field notes on Brazil’s everyday insurrections / Brum, Eliane
“Eliane Brum is an investigative journalist in Brazil, known for her polyphonic writing that gives voice to people often underrepresented in popular literature. Brum’s reporting takes her into Brazil’s most marginalized communities, and as she visits she provides intimate glimpses into both everyday and extraordinary lives. These missives range across current issues, told in the vibrant and idiomatic language of the people Brum writes about.”(Adapted from Catalogue)
Contemporary art Brazil
“Brazil is experiencing an exciting blossoming of culture across many areas. Contemporary Art Brazil focuses on 110 of the country’s most important practitioners in the realm of the fine arts, including artists, gallerists, heads of institutions, critical thinkers and collectors.” (Catalogue)
Capoeira : the Jogo de Angola from Luanda to cyberspace ; volume one / Taylor, Gerard
“Tracing the origins of the popular martial art and dance form from the beginning of the slave trade in the Americas in the 1500s to the early years of the Brazilian Republic in the 20th century. Focusing on the people and events that shaped the art form in Brazil, author Gerard Taylor shows how work songs, religion, and various percussive traditions and instruments shaped capoeira music over the years. (Adapted from Catalogue)
Casa modernista : a history of the Brazil modern house / Weintraub, Alan
“A comprehensive book on Modern residential architecture in Brazil, featuring architects: Oscar Niemeyer, Paulo Mendes da Rocha, Affonso Eduardo Reidy, Jorge Machado Moreira, Juao Walter Toscano, Abrahao Sanovicz, Alvaro Vital Brazil, Rino Levi, and many others.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Brazil’s dance with the devil : the World Cup, the Olympics, and the fight for democracy / Zirin, Dave
“As the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games approached, ordinary Brazilians were holding the country’s biggest protest marches in decades. Sports journalist Dave Zirin traveled to Brazil to find out why. In a rollicking read that travels from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro to the fabled Maracanã Stadium, Zirin examines how athletic mega-events turn into neoliberal Trojan horses.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Futebol the Brazilian way of life / Bellos, Alex
“The Brazilian football team is one of the wonders of the modern world and legendary names like Pelé, Garrincha and Ronaldo inspire awe in football-lovers everywhere. But in Latin America’s largest country, football also symbolises racial harmony, the madness of love and the flamboyance of youth – it’s a sport that expresses the identity of a nation. What makes Brazil the ‘football country’ it is? Mixing fact with local legend, history and myth, in Futebol he uncovers what makes football the Brazilian way of life.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Bold and bright : chic and exuberant interior inspiration from Brazil / Teixeira, Maíra Serra
“The carefully curated homes featured in this book display all the vibrant personality of the region and their use of exuberant colour, design, and pattern is truly life enhancing. During the 1950s and 60s Brazil was in the vanguard of architecture and design and its interiors still possess a generous dash of glossy modernity and mid-century chic.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Brazilian Portuguese. Advanced / Marcello, Dulce
“Brazilian Portuguese, is a unique multimedia course that takes you from a beginner to an advanced level in one convenient package. At the core of Brazilian Portuguese is the Living Language Method, based on linguistic science, proven techniques, and over 65 years of experience. Our method teaches you the whole language, so you can express yourself, not just recite memorized words or scripts. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Brazil : samba, bossa and beyond
