Essays on Hilda Hilst ― Between Brazil and World Literature

This book is the first collection of critical essays on Hilda Hilst (1930-2004) published in English. It brings together a variety of perspectives on one of Latin America’s most inventive and innovative authors. Nine essays by scholars and translators reflect about various aspects of her work, placing it in the context of Brazil and world literature. During her lifetime, Hilst won several major national literary awards and attracted legions of devoted readers. Her writing spanned styles and genres, encompassing poetry, theatre, and experimental fiction. She was also considered to be “a writer’s writer,” and her literary achievements eluded both mainstream acclaim and international recognition. In recent years, Hilst’s books have enjoyed increased visibility in Brazil and beyond. A host of translators (including three contributors to this volume) have finally made some of her masterpieces available in English. This pioneering collection of essays should excite longtime readers and introduce her to a new audience.

Adam Morris is a translator and scholar, most recently at the University of Rochester Humanities Center, USA. He has translated Hilda Hilst, Joao Gilberto Noll, Machado de Assis, Carol Bensimon, and others. 

Bruno Carvalho is Associate Professor of Spanish and Portuguese and Associated Faculty in Comparative Literature at Princeton University, USA. He is the author of Porous City: A Cultural History of Rio de Janeiro (2013), and has published widely on Brazilian literature and urban cultures.