Ruth Rocha, the writer who used children’s literature to circumvent the dictatorship
The articles written by the PÚBLICO Brasil team are written in the variant of the Portuguese language used in Brazil.
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At 93 years old, writer Ruth Rocha will have a stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair, which starts this Wednesday (16/10) and continues until October 20th. With more than 50 years of career, 200 books published, 40 million copies sold, and translated into 25 languages, Ruth is one of the main authors of children’s literature in Brazil. She was editor of the magazine Recessaimed at children. The publication sold 1 million copies per month, 250 thousand each week, in the 1970s.
Titles like Marcelo, Quince, Hammer and the Reizinho Bossy are among his biggest hits. Marcelo, Quince, Hammer sold 20 million copies in Brazil and continues to sell. It became a television series and Paramount has already distributed it to several countries, such as Canada, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, Argentina, Chile and Mexico, with good repercussion. Already the Reizinho Bossy, written during the military dictatorship in Brazil, with 5 million copies sold, it managed to pass censorship and reached the market during the period of greatest persecution of Brazilian writers and intellectuals.
In conversation with PÚBLICO Brasil, Ruth Rocha, explains that censorship didn’t care about children’s literature, it was very focused on the lyrics of the songs. “This bossy little king is really a criticism of the dictatorship. I wrote four books talking bad about kings, because I identified the king with the dictator”, he says. Several writers of children’s literature ended up participating in a resistance movement during the leaden years in Brazil. “With Ana Maria Machado, Joel Rufino dos Santos, among others, we talked about things that no one could talk about, because censorship was on top. Children’s literature shone at that time, for having a freedom that no one had. And the Reizinho Bossy ends with a very Brazilian saying: Shut up, you’re dead, I’m the one in charge of my mouth”, she says, with humor.
Dribbling in Brazilian censorship was made using parables. In this way, the writers were able to address topics that are still very current. “We talk about racism, equality, Northeast Brazil and authoritarianism. We had a children’s literature movement in Brazil, starting in the 1970s, which was very important and flourished with great authors,” adds Ruth.
New contract and the world
The international expansion project for Ruth Rocha’s work is being coordinated by her daughter, Mariana Rocha. Within this objective, a 15-year contract was signed with the Spanish publisher Salamandra, part of the Santillana group. In Portugal, there are already books being published by the publisher Tinta da China. “My mother, at 93 years old, signing a contract for another 15 years with a large publisher gives us a lot of hope. The world needs to know her better. She has had some publications abroad, but not in a large volume. Now, it’s time to expand your work to the world”, celebrates Mariana.
For this reason, going to the Frankfurt Book Fair, in German, Frankfurt Book Fair. It is the largest global meeting in the publishing sector, with 500 years of tradition. The event is aimed at professionals in the field, such as editors and authors. In the last two days, it will be open to the general public.
“We are going to feel the temperature of the market, have contact with the whole world. See how her work will be received. We are going to take some translated books and present their biography”, explains Mariana. “My mother always had a very respectful attitude towards children. To listen to the child very carefully and respect their position as a thinking being. This is very strong in his literature”, he adds.
Attentive to contemporary events, Ruth follows the news, not only from Brazil, but also from around the world. Reveals concern about the growth of the far right. “We have recently lived through a very sad moment, of almost dictatorship. The current government is trying to remove these marks, but it is difficult. There is a right-wing movement all over the world. A figure like Donald Trump is regrettable”, he highlights.
And he adds: “In Brazil, we see a very large right-wing movement, and I see this with great concern. Not that I am a left-wing person. But I support left-wing politicians much more. I vote for them. The right, in the government, They fought against everything that is good, like science, for example. During the epidemic, they attacked vaccination. They advertised medicines that didn’t work. 700,000 people died.
His literature is current on the issue of social awareness. “In addition to Reizinho Bossy and the other books about kings, my mother also wrote about human rights. This all serves to prepare children to know what is fair, to know the importance of equality. We are taking books like Romeo and Juliet by Ruth Rochaa story that talks about racism, the issue of color prejudice, and works with universal themes”, highlights Mariana.
Habit of reading
Next year, Ruth Rocha’s work should be taken to the Bologna Fair, exclusively dedicated to children. Encouraging children’s interest in literature, in Ruth’s words, is a habit that children acquire at home. “In my house, there was an eternal storytelling. My mother read all of Monteiro Lobato to us. My grandfather read a lot. He told stories very well. He edited the stories, making them more interesting. We loved listening to him”, he recalls.
Mine from Ruth said that, as long as she had a printed line, she would buy her daughters. “Everyone in my house had great respect for school and knowledge. Respect for teachers. This impacted not only me, but all my siblings. We noticed that the child loves to play as an adult. Seeing the adult reading is another I help her enjoy reading”, he says.
