Beyond the world republic of letters

Abstract

This paper draws on a research focused on Brazilian literary life in the irst half of the twentieth century. Taking up the idea that Brazilian culture and Brazilian literature must be approached as a language in itself, it aims to contribute to throwing light upon the crucial decades in which Europe's inluence as trendsetter begins to fade. A survey of letters sent from abroad by Brazilian writers to their colleagues in that period will show how displacement inluenced their views on literature and life and the depth of their dependence on keeping up a dialogue with home-staying literary friends. Most of the Brazilian authors living in foreign countries in the 1940s and 1950s of the last century displayed in their letters the need to remain in touch with their national literature, whereas searching to establish contact with writers from the countries they were residing in was seldom a priority.