Valer

To be worth it. This is the name of a publishing house / bookstore / espaço cultural in central Manaus that specializes in Amazonia. They publish on the history, art history, literature, theater, geography and sociology of the region, in visually stunning and expertly edited volumes. They have published the multi-volume Coleção Poracé, for example, which features plays by Amazonas-area playwrights such as Jorge Bandeira and Sérgio Cardoso, and they have produced beautiful editions of poetry collections, including Portuguese/Spanish and Portuguese/English bilingual versions of Manaus-born celebrated poet Thiago de Mello's "Os Estatutos do Homem" and his translation of Nicaraguan poet Ernesto Cardenal's "Manaus resucitado."

Livros da Valer

I had the great opportunity of visiting Valer on several occasions during July of 2011, including attending an event in which acclaimed native-son writer Márcio Souza gave a talk on Hamlet and its staging, with ad hoc translation, in Manaus in 2007. It was my fortune to meet, as well, managing editor Tenório Telles, a generous and engaging man responsible for much of Valer's value!

After returning to the States I realized that I should have purchased the Valer books, that I need for research and wanted for our university library, when I was there. Ordering them after the fact proved daunting for the library as well as for me. But with the help of the New York-based Atlântico Books, we finally received the volumes in the photo above. Atlântico Books specializes in Portuguese-language materials from Brazil and other Lusophone countries, and I strongly recommend them.

The Valer catalog seems to be their only real online presence. This is an area they can definitely work to improve, and it would help to facilitate their overseas sales as well. But in all other aspects, Valer is definitely "worth it." Valer, valeu!