Expressions of the periphery in Brazilian contemporary literature

Starting from the concepts of the centre and the periphery, this thesis analyses their representation in Brazilian contemporary literature and their relationship in the Brazilian and international publishing market. Focusing on four Brazilian contemporary writers with different personal and creative paths – Rodrigo Ciríaco, Marcelino Freire, Ana Paula Maia e Patrícia Melo – this research aims to demonstrate that they can be placed on an imaginary line, which develops through multiple gradations. Therefore, this continuum is opposed to a binary opposition’s point of view. From this perspective, the emergence of a new literary movement from the suburbs of Brazilian big cities, the literatura periférica, is analyzed in order to try to understand how it is different, or not, from other literary discourses. Finally, the thesis observes the presence of Brazilian writers, especially exponents of literatura periférica, in the international publishing market, through their translation and participation in major international cultural events such as Frankfurt Book Fair and Paris Book Fair.