Absinthe: World Literature in Translation

The 2024 issue of Absinthe: World Literature in Translation is a celebration of contemporary Brazilian literature, including short fiction and poetry, as well as excerpts from novels and sections from a recently published—but never produced—cinema novo screenplay. Absinthe 30: Brazil with an ‘S' features English-language translations of work by several acclaimed Brazilian writers, including the likes of Caio Fernando Abreu, Joaquim Pedro de Andrade, Maria Valéria Rezende, and Clarah Averbuck, as well as that of more emergent voices in the Brazilian literary scene, such as Natalia Timerman, Natércia Pontes, and Maria Esther Maciel, among others. Each contribution follows a critical reflection written by its translator, and many of the contributions are accompanied by an original illustration by São Paulo-based artist Thereza Nardelli. Guest-edited by Júlia Irion Martins, Absinthe 30 sheds light on Brazil’s regional diversity, presenting an image of Brazil beyond samba and soccer. The contents of this issue run the gamut, from deals with the capital-D Devil to encounters with lowercase-d devils on dating apps, from reflections on everyday malaise and COVID-era anxieties to snapshots of life during the AIDS crisis. The issue broadly confronts questions of belonging, mourning, family, gender, and sexuality, with many of its pieces—written between the early-20th century and as recently as 2024—demonstrating a preoccupation with formal experimentation, genre, and literary style.