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.

The new Bookable area is inside the shop itself, and as it is separate from the café area, it can be used for more formal discussions, workshops or clubs.

Since the beginning of June, the space has been used for various meetings, including a Danish travel group’s Brazil itinerary planning meeting, a Portuguese-English language exchange, and a question and answer session about Carbon Neutral Tourism by journalists from Spain’s Yo Dona magazine [pictured].

The space can be reserved free of charge for culturally relevant activities. Some of the things YOU could use this space for are:

• a monthly book club

• a language club

• a writing group

• an author book-signing evening

• a workshop, presentation, seminar or discussion

If you want to use the space, please let us know about your idea, and what day of the week/one-off date you are interested in.

We’re open to considering any idea, providing we think it is feasible for the space and culturally relevant. The space is open to adult groups only for the time being.

Your meeting can take place within bookshop opening hours, any day except Thursdays.

You can get in touch via this site or come and chat to Sarah on a Thursday evening (8pm to 10pm. Please note that there will be no Literary Thursdays on the 2nd and the 9th of July).

And if you’re not in Itacaré, What would YOU use a bookshop meeting space for? Let us know in the comments below.

And now lusophone fans can get an insight into Hornby’s own reading habits with the recently published Brazilian edition of The Complete Polysyllabic Spree: The Diary of an Occasionally Exasperated but Ever Hopeful Reader.

It’s a collection of Hornby’s  “Stuff I’ve been reading” column in the American magazine The Believer, written between 2003 and 2006, in which he gave monthly commentaries on the books he bought and the books he read. It’s his honest personal take on specific books and writers (including a character analysis of Adrian Mole, the feelings evoked when reading Kurt Vonnegut’s “A Man without a Country”, and what people might imagine when they see the cover of Philip Larkin’s letters), plus plenty of comment on the concept of literary criticism itself.

But I’m not going to go into more details of the original book here. Intelligent readers of The Spectacled Bear Reports already know that Hornby is one of the most engaging writers in Britain, and this title has been reviewed everywhere since its publication in 2006.

What is of interest here is the new Brazilian edition, translated by Antonio E de Moura Filho with the grand title Frenesi Polissilábico – O diário de Nick Hornby: um leitor que perde as estribeiras mas nunca perde a esperança.

I read the translation with three questions in mind:

Is the translation any good?,  Is this book of any value to Brazilian readers? and: What relevance does this new edition have to English readers?

“Yes!”, “Yes!” and “A lot!”

The translator’s challenge with this book was not only to reproduce Hornby’s own unique style, but also to translate the many different types of writing in the extracts of the books being described. And Moura Filho’s translation ticked all the right boxes. The Portuguese manages to capture Hornby’s voice, alongside well translated sections of the books mentioned.

It is an excellent read for Brazilians because, although it has as strong a London flavour as any of Hornby’s fiction, the Portuguese is brilliantly fluid.

My only concern with this edition would be that the book might cause some frustration if readers start looking for Brazilian versions of all the titles mentioned (it would be interesting to read opinons from Brazilians who have read it – please feel free to comment below).

And for the English speakers among you, I have long believed that a great way to learn a foreign language is by reading translations (as long as they are good translations). With an easy to read style like that used in the Polysyllabic Spree, you can improve your skills in reading in Portuguese whilst staying within an anglophone comfort zone in terms of cultural allusion and, in the case of this particular title, literary cross reference.

So if you’re yearning for easy reading, North London style AND are keen to read something in Portuguese, get this book.

You can buy this title in any good independent bookshop in Brazil (including Urso de Óculos – that’s us, by the way), or directly from the publisher.

And, wait for it: FREE BOOK ALERT!:

If you ARE in the vicinity of the most international bookshop in Bahia, come on over as fast as your legs will carry you, as we’ve got one FREE copy of Frenesi Polissilábico to give away to the first person who comes into the shop and tells us the answer to this question:

What football team does Nick Hornby support?

————————

Frenesi Polissilábico
Nick Hornby / Tradução de Antonio E. de Moura Filho
ISBN: 9788532524072
Editora: Rocco (2009)

Every Thursday at 8pm YOU are invited to our weekly event Quintas no Urso (Thursdays at Urso).

Entry to all events is free and you can be sure of a warm welcome – even if you don’t speak Portuguese – ask in advance at the desk for this week’s theme, or just turn up.

Some Thursdays are more formal, with invited speakers on themes such as literature and local history, and others are more informal, with local bookworms arguing over comma use with a glass of wine and a brownie (similar to last year’s Literary Thursdays)

For a calendar of events for the next few months, check this site again soon or ask in the bookshop.

Juliana reading us a story on a wintery Thursday in 2008.

Which of these two descriptions would you say best matches your experience of reading on a tropical beach?

The warm ocean lapping onto your feet, the gentle sound of  wind in the coconut palms, the hot tropical sun shining down, a dolphin gliding seamlessly through the big blue on the horizon, and your favourite book in hand… (“Reading on the Beach – The fiction“)

or

Eyes hurting from squinting to see the text in the sun, head aching from worrying about getting crows feet around your eyes, and a football kicked onto your head as you try to read. (“Reading on the Beach – The reality“)

To help you avoid the suffering and get into “the fiction“, the Spectacled Bear Team has spent some arduous hours researching the activity, and has come up with these 5 tips on how to be a happy beach reader:

1. Find a Sun Lounger / Hammock

Even if you’re tempted to read lying down on the sand, don’t do it. By placing yourself on a sun lounger or hammock, you will avoid discomforts such as sand between the covers, a painful arm, and getting a football kicked onto your chest.

2. Stay in the Shade

It may be tempting to get a tan while catching up on the chapters of your chosen fiction. But beware: If you get too into your book, you’ll forget that you’re in the sun and quickly turn into a lobster.

3. Avoid Eye Contact

Beaches are a bit like pubs. As soon as you make eye contact with someone, they will either chat you up or start an argument. If you aren’t looking for this kind of interaction, wear shades or a big floppy hat during your reading session.

4. Keep your lotions at a safe distance

If you a trip to the beach means a rucksack full of bronzing oils and sun protection lotions, it is ESSENTIAL to store your book inside a clean plastic bag or totally separate section of your pack. Pages stained with sun cream makes a book aunpleasant to read, and impossible to exchange.

5. Be prepared to explain yourself.

People will question your motives for reading in a place principally used for football/swimming/sunbathing/beer drinking/socializing. Are you a student? If you’re not a student, then why are you reading?

So, grab your paperback and get to the beach! And we’d love to hear any tips you can add to the list – please send them via the comments box below.