Twelve authors from Minas Gerais have been selected among the finalists of the 2026 Jabuti Award. This literary award, celebrating its 68th edition, is recognized as the most traditional in Brazil and its winners will be announced next Tuesday, the 27th, at Sala São Paulo, located in the capital of São Paulo.
This year, professionals born in Minas Gerais compete in 11 categories out of the 23 established by the Brazilian Book Chamber (CBL). The organization distributed these categories into four major thematic axes: Literature, Non-Fiction, Editorial Production, and Brazilian Book Published Abroad. The winners of each of these categories will receive a statuette and a prize worth R$ 5 thousand.
Additionally, the author awarded the title of Book of the Year will receive a prize of R$ 70 thousand and will have the opportunity to participate in an international book fair, whether in London, Bologna, Frankfurt, or Guadalajara, with all costs covered by the CBL.
Meet the Minas Gerais finalists
The representatives from Minas Gerais who advanced to the final phase include:
- Adélia Prado, from Divinópolis, nominated for the work «O jardim das oliveiras» in the Poetry category.
- Bárbara Mançanares, from Alfenas, with «A dança áspera das raízes», also in Poetry.
- Evandro Affonso Ferreira, from Araxá, representing Literary Novel with «Vez em quando, Billie Holiday».
- Fernanda Teixeira Ribeiro, from Uberaba, competing in the Debut Writer – Novel category with «Cantagalo».
- Humberto Werneck, from Belo Horizonte, with «Viagem no país da crônica» in the Chronicle category.
- Júlio Emílio Braz, from Manhumirim, nominated for the Youth category with the book «A escola do fim do mundo».
- Leo Cunha, from Bocaiúva, in partnership with Raquel Matsushita, in the Children's category with «A letra».
- Marcelo Lelis, from Montes Claros, with «Reparações» in the Comics category.
- Mateus Valadares, from Belo Horizonte, whose cover was selected for «O devorador: Zé Celso, vida e arte» in the Cover category.
- Nelson Cruz, from Belo Horizonte, with «Gran Circo» in the Illustration category.
- Ruy Castro, from Caratinga, with «Trincheira tropical: a Segunda Guerra Mundial no Rio» in the Biography and Reportage category.
- Virginia Siqueira Starling, from Belo Horizonte, with «Quem é essa mulher?: uma biografia de Zuzu Angel» in the Biography and Reportage category.
Understand how the Jabuti Award works
Founded in 1958, the Jabuti Award aims to recognize not only authors but also the professionals involved in literary production and initiatives aimed at encouraging reading. The 23 categories are structured into four main axes:
- Literature: Includes ten categories, including Short Story, Chronicle, Debut Writer – Poetry, Debut Writer – Novel, Comics, Children's, Youth, Poetry, Entertainment Novel, and Literary Novel.
- Non-Fiction: Covers six areas, such as Arts, Biography and Reportage, Creative Economy, Education, Business, and Health and Wellness.
- Editorial Production: Recognizes work in Cover, Illustration, Graphic Design, and Translation, totaling four categories.
- Innovation: Composed of three categories, it includes Reading Promotion – Project, Brazilian Book Published Abroad, and Reading Promotion – Digital Culture, the latter being a new addition this edition.
In addition to the awardees in these categories, the ceremony will feature the announcement of the Book of the Year, which represents the highest honor of the award.
Award news
In this edition, there have been significant changes: the winners of the Debut Writer – Poetry and Debut Writer – Novel categories will now also compete for Book of the Year. Furthermore, the Reading Promotion – Digital Culture category has been established, intended to honor projects that use digital platforms to connect readers and books, fostering reading communities.
In a parallel context, Atlético Mineiro player Gustavo Scarpa was invited to present one of the awards. He recently started publishing reviews on YouTube. After commenting on Leo Tolstoy's work «The Death of Ivan Ilyich», this book achieved high sales volume on Amazon Brazil. The athlete's dedication also served as inspiration for the creation of «Galeitura», a book club founded by an Atlético supporter, which already has over 120 thousand followers on social media.