Brazilian writer Milton Hatoum confident Brazil will win a Nobel Prize in Literature

Milton Hatoum, one of Brazil's most distinguished writers, expressed his confidence that a Brazilian author will one day receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. Speaking at the Babell festival in Porto, Hatoum shared his optimistic outlook on the global recognition of Brazilian literary talent. While acknowledging the prestige of the award, he emphasized the importance of the writing process itself, stating that "the important thing is the work, so one must forget about the prizes."

Hatoum, who has been rumored to have been considered for the Nobel himself, discussed his literary journey. He began writing his first novel, 'Reelato de um certo oriente,' in Madrid and Barcelona during the 1980s, completing it in Paris before returning to his native Brazilian Amazon. His subsequent novel, 'Dos hermanos,' propelled him to prominence, earning translations into 15 languages and adaptations into television, comics, and theater.

Further cementing his status, Hatoum's novel 'Cenizas del norte' sold 120,000 copies. His other works include the short story collection 'La ciudad aislada' and the trilogy 'El lugar más sombrío.' Now 74, Hatoum continues to write by hand and revealed to EFE that his next novel, narrated by a French-Brazilian woman imprisoned in Dijon, France, is set to be released this year.

Hatoum was among notable writers, including Javier Cercas, Olga Tokarczuk, Salman Rushdie, and Alberto Manguel, participating in the Babell cultural event in Porto, an event that collaborates with EFE for content dissemination.