Black author, white catalogue: the presence of black authors in the Brazilian literary market
Black authors; publishing market; ethnic-racial relations; whiteness.
This work investigates the presence of black authors in the catalog of 15 publishers, located on the Rio de Janeiro-São Paulo axis, between the years 2011 and 2021. Through a quantitative survey and interviews with four editors, from different companies , it was possible to map the practices, values and behaviors adopted in the publishing market in relation to the publication of black authors. Publishers were grouped into small, medium and large, given the number of authors in their catalog and the length of time the company ha existed. Using four axes of analysis: identity and gender, year of publication, nationality and literary genre, it was possible to cross-reference the data collected to understand the multiple challenges faced by black authors based on their living conditions, work and origin. This investigation observes the recent transformations experienced by the literary market, amid social mobilizations and the application of public policies aimed at the black population. From a racial perspective, it discusses the construction of a catalogue, the editorial approach and outlook of publishers, as well as the curation dynamics and networks established by companies and their editors, to precisely understand the nuances and impacts of race in the institutionalization of practices of Brazilian whiteness in the literary market.