from Little Gidding – no. 4 of Four Quartets by T. S. Eliot

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Another Itacaré summer is over .

The Bear has now gone into the Atlantic rainforest and he may or not be back. Without the Spectacled Bear, the Spectacled Bear Bookshop is no more.

The seafront store is now closed, but you can still buy books from our page on the Brazilian website Estante Virtual (until October 2011).

Grateful, beholden, sincere and hyperbole-free thanks to all you lovely people who have followed and been part of Urso de Óculos in Itacaré since 2007.

Sarah Rebecca

The new book is being released at the same time as new book of poems by the man known in Itacaré as “the other Eduardo Bechara”, who already has a reputation as a novelist in Spanish speaking America.

The two Eduardo Becharas – one Colombian the other Argentinean – discovered each others’ existence and met in person for the first time here in Itacaré last year, as I reported here.

The Itacaré-inspired book of short stories is called Creaturas del Mandala (Creatures from Mandala), named after The Posada Mandala guesthouse in Itacaré, founded and managed by Eduardo and his family in 2008-9.

I haven’t seen a copy  yet, but if it’s anything like what Eduardo writes in his blog, it’s a cocktail with a dash of what really happened to Eduardo here in Itacaré, mixed with a double shot of an imagination the size of his shoes.

At the same time, The Colombian Eduardo’s first collection of poetry, Poemas a Una Ciudad, un Insecto e una Mujer (Poems to a city, an insect and a woman) promises to be as good as the technically brilliant and fluid prose of his novels.

Both books are published by Ediciones del Copista (Argentina) and Escaraba-jo (Colombia).

Not only do the two Eduardos have the same name,  look very alike (look), and have similar backgrounds, but they have also now become friends and writing partners. As well as launching these two titles, they are also working on a new project together.

The Argentinean Eduardo started work on his book when he was still in Itacaré.

We like to think he was a least a tad inspired by the bookshop where he spent so much of his time.

Maybe it was the wine and chocolate brownies that helped his writing, or perhaps it was the thumping base beats from the funfair parked in front of the shop last summer…

They now also have a  new website where you can find out more about the books and about these two men called Eduardo Bechara.

The doors are open for another summer here on the waterfront of Itacaré.

This will be the fourth summer season for the bookshop, and it will also be the last one.

We’re here until March.

But for now, we’re still the only bookshop in Itacaré, and the only bookshop in Brazil with new and used books in English, German, Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian French, Finnish, Dutch, Catalan, Hebrew AND Japanese.

We’ve got chocolate brownies, soft drinks, beer, a  seaview, and loads of books.

Come and say hello.

We’re near the end of the Orla in Itacaré, and we’re open every day 16:00 – 21:00.

Swap two books for one in over 15 different languages.

Our book exchange section is a great way to lighten your load when travelling. And it also means that every time you visit us there are more titles to choose from.

If you’re coming to Itacaré, bring us your books!

Books for swapping must be in good condition. No loose jackets or missing pages please.

Winter does not really exist in the tropics, but the period between March to December does mean a huge reduction in visitors to Itacaré. Less tourists in town also means less bookbuying at Urso de Óculos, so we’re taking a break from the store, too.

So, the riverfront bookshop in Itacaré will close its doors  for the winter on the 26th of March. We are moving out of our current location and hope to re-open next summer at a new address.

You can still buy from us online via the Brazilian website Estante Virtual, with a great selection of books about Brazilian and Bahian culture in English and Portuguese.

And you still have another week to take advantage of the end of summer sale, with discounts of up to 60% on selected children’s books, fiction, poetry, general paperbacks, dictionaries, phrasebooks and second hand books.

So if you are in Itacaré, come and pick up a bargain or two to read over the winter months.

As I write this, I still haven’t decided if we will have a pre-hibernation event next week or not, but if you are in town on the 26th of March, you’re all welcome to pop in and find out.

post by Sarah Rebecca. Photo by © Marilyn Volan | Dreamstime.com

São Paulo based publisher Landmark has initiated legal proceedings against Brazilian translator and blogger Denise Bottmann.

The case relates to allegations published on Bottmann’s blog that Brazilian editions of Persuasion by Jane Austen and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte are plagiarised translations. Raquel Sallaberry, on whose blog the assertion of plagiarism was also published, has been summoned as an additional defendant in the dispute.

The lawsuit, initiated in February, calls for the blogs in question to be deleted, and claims financial compensation for libel. According to statements published on their websites, Denise and Raquel have both instructed lawyers to prepare their cases for defence.

As described here and also on my previous blog, Denise writes about the alarmingly widespread occurrence of plagiarism of literary translations in Brazil. Since 2007, she has documented numerous situations on her blog in which publishers have broken the law by selling existing texts under new names as though they were original translations.

Each alleged example of plagiarism on the  blog is backed up with samples from the books concerned, with details of publishers, editions, year of publication and names of translators, all easily verifiable by any reader who cares to check. Some of the publishers involved have entered into dialogue with Denise, and a few have admitted errors graciously, stating publicly that books will be withdrawn.

Persuasion was first mentioned on Denise’s blog in January 2009, with a detailed post (in Portuguese) about the texts and the circumstances of the Landmark edition. The post shows the similarities between the Landmark translation by Fabio Cyrino and a previous translation published in Portugal.

Denise was alerted to the situation by Raquel Sallaberry, who also published examples on her blog. As the news quickly spread across the Internet, Denise contacted me to let me know, as I had previously praised Landmark for the initiative in publishing Austen. Landmark’s Bronte translation is also included on Denise’s list of dubious editions, with a clarification following her communication with the person accredited as the translator.

The story of the lawsuit has been widely reported in Brazilian print and online media over the last two weeks,  with a huge wave of support and solidarity for Bottman and Sallaberry from publishers, bookshops, associations, writers, translators and bloggers.

Urso de Óculos bookshop – to which my blog is inextricably linked – neither stocks nor recommends to readers any titles published by Landmark.

Four Brazilian translators have set up an online petition in support of Denise, with an explanation in English on the blog I Support Denise: http://apoiodenise.wordpress.com/. More background in English too, in this article written last year by Danilo Nogueira and Kelli Semolini.

Please feel free to spread the word further, and you can also show solidarity by adding your name to the online petition.

This publication really is a big deal, and worth celebration in Brazil. Firstly, because the story is a joy to read and secondly because of the background to this translation.

Following allegations of plagiarism in previous Brazilian editions of Jane Austen, one of which I wrote about here, Raquel Sallaberry publically asked L&PM to consider publishing a Jane Austen collection with brand new translations. The publisher responded to the call, and the first in the Jane Austen series has now been launched.

With a solid reputation for commissioning fresh translations of classic world literature, L&PM has a fascinating history, from its first censor-avoiding publications during the military dictatorship, to its 30+ year history of publishing excellent Brazilian and international writing at accessible prices.

Celina Portocarrero has translated many novels and short stories from French and English into Portuguese, including Marcel Proust’s Un Amor de Swann, for which she won the 2007 prize for best translation from French as part of the Prêmio Açorianos de Literatura.  She is also a poet, with a first collection published in 2007 by 7letras.

According to Sallaberry, prior to this new translation, the most recent truly new Brazilian  edition of Pride and Prejudice was a 1940 translation by Lúcio Cardoso. Since then, two other “translations” have been published and proclaimed as new, but  evidence documented by Denise Bottmann of Não Gosto de Plágio (I don’t like Plagiarism), indicates that the editions are copies of previous translations: one from Portugal and the other by Cardoso, attributed to unknown and apparently non-existent “translators” and published by well known Brazilian publishers, bearing remarkable similarities to the previous editions, including the same errors and omissions of whole chunks of text in some cases.

Unfortunately, plagiarism of literary translation in Brazil seems to be common, and not confined to Jane Austen novels. There are now numerous known cases of translations signed by fictional translators, leaving the publisher (illegally) free from obligations of accreditation and fees payable under Brazilian and international copyright laws.

As outdated translations continue to be marketed to readers as fresh approaches to the original texts, Bottmann’s meticulously detailed and well researched blog calls on the publishers involved to withdraw illegal editions.

It’s great to see a Brazilian press take a risk on a new translation of a classic when there are several versions in Portuguese already available on the market, and for this L&PM should be applauded. It’s also refreshing to see an opinion from the writer of a superb, non-commercially motivated blog being taken into account by a publisher.

I haven’t seen the book yet, but glowing reviews of Portocarrero’s translation have started to appear on the Internet. If your local bricks and mortar bookseller doesn’t stock it, I recommend you buy your copy online directly from the publisher.

Orgulho e Preconceito (Pride and Prejudice)
Translation to Portuguese by Celina Portocarrero
Published in Brazil by L&PM
ISBN 9788525419644

Post written by Sarah Rebecca.

And to celebrate the programme’s first birthday we’ve set up a brand new section called The Green Shelf.

For every book sold in this section throughout January and February, a donation goes to the Carbon Social Fund, enabling new trees to be planted and helping traditional small scale farming families in Itacaré.

The region surrounding Itacaré is part of the remainder of the once prolific, now diminished, Atlantic Rainforest.  The forest is one of the attractions to visitors, but an increase in tourism, migration, and urban growth in recent years has also contributed to its destruction.

Last year I wrote here about Mecenas de Vida and its Carbon Neutral Tourism scheme, in which local businesses can apply for certification by “neutralizing” the carbon they use in their business operations, by supporting tree planting on rural lands owned and managed by local traditional small-scale farming families in the municipality of Itacaré itself.

The programme is now celebrating its first birthday, and the fund now supports 5 families in the Itacaré area with its Conservation Grant, with another 5 families working voluntarily. The financial resources from the fund enable the traditional farmers to produce and plant seedlings and trees to neutralize CO2 emissions whilst conserving the forest on their properties.

As a counterpart, the farmers must make various commitments in order to receive the the funds, as explained on the organization’s website.

Since the programme started at the beginning of 2009, 2.317 seedlings have been produced and planted.

So how can buying a book help?

For every book you buy from the Green Shelf at the bookshop in Itacaré, we will donate 5% of the sale to the Carbon Social Fund.

On the shelf are books about the rainforest, plants fruit, animals and birds in English and Portuguese. There are also books on sustainable tourism and environmental education. And to make it really easy for you to contribute to the Carbon Neutral Fund by buying a book, we’ve also included some literary fiction in English and Portuguese, too.

The shelf itself is made from a recycled dugout canoe, and some of the English books in this section are not available at any other bookshop in Brazil.

Plus! If you’re staying at one of the guesthouses participating in the programme, don’t forget you can use your Carbon Neutral Advantage Card here, too. More details on the Carbon Neutral Programme and other fascinating projects involving rainforest environmental education, please come and ask Sarah or Joice at the bookshop.

And if you like the idea of having space to read, springtime here is ideal, as the town is uncrowded, and the climate is perfect for taking a good book to the beach.

But which book to choose?

Here are our recommendations for  5  ecelectic  beach reads for springtime reading in Itacaré. And of course these books, and many more, are available right here in Itacaré, at Urso de Óculos bookshop:

1. THE BRAZILIAN CLASSIC NOVEL:

Tieta – Jorge Amado – (Translated by Barbara Shelby Merello)

Jorge Amado (1912 – 2001) was one of Brazil’s most popular writers, and certainly the most translated and internationally  acclaimed. He was born near Ilhéus (close to Itacaré) and many of his novels reflect Bahia’s colourful past. His most known novel, Gabriela, clove and cinnamon, is highly recommended and described in the Portuguese version of this post. Indeed, anything written by Jorge Amado is a top tip for beach reading in Bahia. But here we especially recommend the less well-known Tieta.

Described by the New York Times as Lusty, Tieta certainly does have the Amado trademark sexiness and vigour.

**It is the story of Tieta, who returns to her seaside village on the northeast coast of Brazil, after being banished for promiscuity twenty-six years earlier. Thinking she is now a rich, respectable widow, her family welcomes her with open arms. But Tieta is forced to reveal her true identity in order to save the town’s beautiful beaches from ugly development. For the only way she can stop the factory is to call upon her close connections in São Paulo’s highest political and financial circles – as only the Madam of the city’s ritziest bordello can.**

2. THE MUSICAL READ:

Tropical Truth – A story of music & revolution in Brazil – Caetano Veloso (translated by Isabel de Sena/Barbara Einzig)

Caetano Veloso is one of the most important songwriters in Brazil. In Tropical Truth he tells the story of his part in Tropicalismo, the revolutionary musical movement that rocked Brazilian culture in the 1960′s. As well as giving an insight into recent history, music, culture and politics in Brazil, it is also a background to the art and ideas shaping Caetano Veloso himself.

From his childhood and early influences in Bahia, to his exile in London and his connnections with Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Tom Zé and other great figures in Brazilian culture, this is a fascinating memoir.

Ideal for reading in a beach hut in Itacaré with Tropicalia playing in the background!

3. SPORT + GREAT WRITING:

Futebol – The Brazilian way of life – Alex Bellos

Ths book is so well written that even I – who cannot abide football – loved it. The thing is that as well as being totally about football it is also totally about Brazil.

Fascinating stories about Pelé, Garrincha, Ronaldoa and other “stars”, and some great observations  about Brazilian culture by this talented British writer.

This is an English book which has now been translated into Portuguese, and copies in  both languages are among our best sellers here at Urso de Óculos since we opened.

Buy this book and you can read it in the Urso de Óculos café, right in front of the local Itacaré football teams practice on Coroinha beach.

4. CLASSIC BRAZILIAN POETRY

Death and Life of Severino – João Cabral de Melo Neto – Translated by John Milton

**One of the most important Brazilian classics of the 20th century, Death and Life of Severino shows us the hardship of the rural migrants in the Northeast of Brazil. Severino, a farm labourer, leaves his drought-stricken region to seek his fortune. Throughout his journey along the River Capibaribe, he finds more drought, death and hunger. On reaching Recife, the capital of the state of Pernambuco, he thinks about drowning himself, but is prevented from doing so by his meeting with the carpenter José.

This translation, by John Milton, Professor of English Literature and Translation Studies at the University of São Paulo, is the first complete translation of this classic verse published in English.**

5. BREATHTAKING PHOTOS

Brazilian Nature in Detail – Photography by  Fabio Colombini and text by Evaristo Eduardo de Miranda

After all that drought in the book above, this beautiful book may just be the perfect chaser. This incredible work of macrophotography is one to apreciate aprés-beach, sipping a glass of cocoa juice and gazing at Itacaré’s exhuberant nature.

This title contains spectacular photos by Fabio Colombini with texts by scientist, agronomist and ecologist Evaristo Eduardo. It’s a bilingual edition in Portuguese and English, and one of various truly beautiful books available at Urso de Óculos bookshop.

Get your copies at Urso de Óculos while stocks last!

Plus…over on the Portuguese side of this site is a review of 5 more excellent titles, so if you read both posts you get an amazing 10 top springtime tips.

*Tieta is published by The University of Wisconsin Press.
Tropical Truth is from Da Capo Press.
Futebol is published by Bloomsbury.
Death and Life of Severino is published by Editora Plêdade.
Brazilian Nature in Detail is from Metalivros.
** Adapted from the publisher's description.

]]> http://www.ursodeoculos.com/english/?feed=rss2&p=1101 1 http://www.ursodeoculos.com/english/?p=1072 http://www.ursodeoculos.com/english/?p=1072#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:42:15 +0000 Sarah http://www.ursodeoculos.com/english/?p=1072 Bechara and Bechara: in Itacaré

At the end of July there was yet another special event in the Urso de Óculos bookshop.

A writer was interviewed about his life and his modus operandus.

So, far, nothing particularly incredible.

But, this was, in fact, a unique event.

Colombian author Eduardo Bechara Navratilova came to Urso de Óculos to talk about his work and his latest novel Unos Duermen, Otros No.  And the MC for the night was the Argentinean Eduardo Bechara, Itacaré resident, a regular at our events, and also a writer.

Yes, well-spotted: the two writers share the same name. They also look uncannily alike (check out the photo). And, as if distinguishing between them was not already confusing enough, there are also loads of similarities in their lives.

The two met recently for the first time, when one Eduardo discovered that the other existed and invited him to Itacaré to visit him and his family.

“I was curious to know more about this guy with the same name and who seemed to look a lot like me, too”, said Eduardo when we thought of the idea for the event. “It’s possible that this story could only have taken place in today’s globalized world” he said.

The writer Eduardo Bechara Navratilova was born in 1972 in Bogotá, Colombia, to a Lebanese father and a Chech mother. A graduate in law (1999) and literature (2005) of the University of The Andes in Bogotá, he is the author of the novels La nóvia del Torero (2002, published by La Serpiente Emplumada) and Unos duermen, Otros No ( 2006, Editorial Escarabajo). A founder member of the Colombian Literature Association, Eduardo also writes columns and short stories in the Colombian press and runs literature workshops. He also writes his own travel and short story blog. Currently resident in Philadelphia, USA, he is very interested in Brazil and in the last few years has made various trips here.

Eduardo Bechara is from Córdoba in Argentina and now lives in Itacaré.  A stickler for good reading, and a regular at our Thursday night events, Eduardo writes short stories in Spanish, and also has an affinity with both Arab and North American cultures. He met his namesake when his sister discovered the blog by the writer with the same name as her brother. Eduardo got in touch and invited the Colombian to Pousada Mandala, the guesthouse he manages with his family here in Itacaré.

A good crowd turned up for the interview: Itacaré regulars and tourists from Brazil and further afield. It was an excellent event, lifting the winter season mood of The Spectacled Bear. Thanks to everyone who came.

The Argentinean began the evening by explaining how odd it felt to meet his new friend in person.

“But what happened to me could happen to any of you.” He said.

And the Colombian told us a little about his fascinating life story – from his time in the army when he wrote poetry à la Cyrano de Bergerac to help the lieutenant get a girlfriend – to how he became a professional author and what the daily routine of a fiction writer is like.

The most intriguing story of the evening was the description of a case of mistaken identity experienced by Argentinean Eduardo in Egypt years before he knew of the existence of his namesake.

I know that a lot of people followed this event from afar, after both Eduardos shared the news via the invitation I posted on our Urso Facebook Page. So, for those friends who couldn’t be here on the night and who understand Portuguese or Spanish (or Portiñol), here is the recording made by Eduardo Bechara Navratilova. Click here to listen to the recording of the interview.

The photo above is © 2009 Maria Lorena Rosales.