American Authors Wow the Crowd in Brazil: President Rousseff Welcomes Anne Rice, Steven Carter, and Scott Turow to the 2011 Bienal

Rio de Janeiro, September 2011 — The 2011 Bienal do Livro (http://www.bienaldolivro.com.br) ended last weekend with Anne Rice, Steven Carter, and Scott Turow highlighting an impressive American presence at Brazil’s national book fair. The spotlight, however, was on Steven Carter, the American author most well known for his New York Times bestseller  Men Who Can’t Love.

           This year’s Bienal was a celebration of women, and on opening day Carter was among a handful of dignitaries invited to meet Brazil’s most famous woman, President Dilma Rousseff.  Carter’s books became wildly popular in Brazil four years ago with the release of What Smart Women Know.  Five more titles have followed and Carter just concluded another whirlwind tour of the country.  His visit to the Bienal included many book signings, interviews, parties, and a standing-room-only presentation at the Bienal’s famous forum: ‘Mulher e Ponto’.

            Steven Carter’s presence could be felt everywhere at this year’s fair. The official website of the Bienal do Livro announced Carter’s upcoming appearance for months, featuring his photos on the splash page of their website.  Jumbotron screens inside the Riocentro convention center announced Carter’s presence at the book fair. Newspaper, magazine, and web articles highlighted Carter’s appearance.  For Carter, the experience was nothing short of dizzying.

            “Every time I visit Brazil I am overwhelmed by the reception,” confesses Carter, who has now sold more than two million copies of his books in Brazil. “I go from my very quiet ‘Clark Kent’ life in the USA to thrilling weeks of celebration in Brazil. Every year I expect things to calm down but they just get more and more intense!”

            Carter, who has been compared to Brazilian icon Chico Buarque, clearly seems to have struck a serious nerve in Brazil.  His publisher, Marcos Pereira of Editora Sextante explains:  "The role of women in the Brazilian culture and economy has evolved dramatically.  If you think of the U.S. 20 years ago, I think this is happening now in Brazil. Women are rethinking their roles, enjoying their independence, embracing their success,”  Carter adds, “Self-esteem is the greatest struggle as women emerge—negative, discouraging voices from the past still have a powerful influence on women’s progress. I know that my work speaks directly to that conflict.” “Now Brazil has its first woman President,” continues Carter, “a sea-change is clearly underway but women need support for that change. I’d like to think that my work offers support for that change.”

Contact Information

Richard Friedel

Publicist

C.A.S. Publishing

info@caspublishing.org