Established in the late 1990s, the Brazilian Writers-in-Residence at the University of California, Berkeley has welcomed many of Brazil's most influential writers and artists for sustained periods of creative work, teaching, and intellectual exchange. While centered on literature and writing, the residency embraces the many ways language and textual practice intersect with other artistic forms, bringing to Berkeley novelists, poets, essayists, translators, and interdisciplinary artists whose work has profoundly shaped contemporary Brazilian cultural life. Over the years, residents have included figures such as Adélia Prado, Adriana Lisboa, Bernardo Carvalho, Milton Hatoum, Nuno Ramos, Luiz Ruffato, Cidinha da Silva, Ricardo Aleixo, Itamar Vieira Jr., Pedro Cesarino, and many others.
During their time at Berkeley, residents pursue new creative projects while participating in the intellectual life of the campus through undergraduate and graduate courses, seminars, workshops, and conversations with students and faculty. Through partnerships with cultural institutions throughout the San Francisco Bay Area—including City Lights Booksellers & Publishers, BAMPFA, and other community venues—the program extends these exchanges beyond the University, fostering lasting connections between Brazil, Berkeley, and the wider public.
