Latin American Short Stories Reading Group - November 2026

Join us for an evening of contemporary Afro-Brazilian literature. Join us for an evening of contemporary Afro-Brazilian literature as VLACC’s Reading Group explores five short stories by Geovani Martins, Eliana Alves Cruz, Paulo Dutra, Geni Guimarães, and Natara Ney. Drawn from Contemporary Afro-Brazilian Short Fiction, the stories offer distinct perspectives on Brazilian society while engaging with themes of identity, race, memory, belonging, history, and everyday life. Contemporary Afro-Brazilian Short Fiction Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026 Time: 6:30–8:00 pm Location: Conference Room at Britannia Community Services Centre 1661 Napier St, Vancouver Free event. Registration is required. Get your tickets here on Eventbrite. VLACC’s Reading Group follows a book club format. Participants are invited to read the selected stories before the meeting and come ready to share their impressions, questions, and perspectives. Marco Schaumloeffel will facilitate the conversation, guiding the group through the stories and creating space for an open exchange about Afro-Brazilian literature, culture, and the ideas raised by the texts. The selected stories are: • Landless in the Sea (Sem-terra no mar) – Geovani Martins • Eighty-Eight (Oitenta e oito) – Eliana Alves Cruz • Tchatinha – Paulo Dutra • Metamorphosis (Metamorfose) – Geni Guimarães • Gag (Cabresto) – Natara Ney The stories are available in Portuguese and English, presented side by side, and we will discuss them in English. No previous experience with Brazilian or Latin American literature is necessary. Tea and cookies will be provided. Come prepared to read, reflect, and join the conversation. Stories for this session: • Landless in the Sea (Sem-terra no mar) – Geovani Martins • Eighty-eight (Oitenta e oito) – Eliana Alves Cruz • Tchatinha – Paulo Dutra • Metamorphosis (Metamorfose) – Geni Guimarães • Gag (Cabresto) – Natara Ney Read the stories here: https://uclpress.co.uk/book/contemporary-afro-brazilian-short-fiction/ About the Facilitator Marco Schaumloeffel teaches Portuguese, Lusophone culture, and literature at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Previously, he was a lecturer in Brazilian Studies at The University of the West Indies in Barbados and the University of Ghana. He holds a BA in German, Portuguese, and Literature, as well as an MA and a PhD in Linguistics. Apart from several published articles and book chapters, he is the author of Tabom, the Afro-Brazilian Community in Ghana (2009)—the first book on the history of the Afro-Brazilian returnees to Ghana. He also authored a dialectology study on the German Hunsrückisch spoken in Southern Brazil, titled Interferência do Português em um Dialeto Alemão Falado no Sul do Brasil. His current research focuses on Creole languages, specifically the Portuguese origins and influences in Papiamentu, a Caribbean Creole language spoken mainly in Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. He compares Papiamentu with Papiá Kristang, a nearly extinct Portuguese Creole spoken by a small community of Portuguese descendants in Malacca, Malaysia. His literary interests also focus on contemporary Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Portuguese authors. He has translated several books and serves as the Chief Examiner for Portuguese for the Caribbean Examinations Council. Please note that we will photograph and film this event for internal documentation and promotional purposes. If you do not wish to appear in any photos or recordings, kindly inform us upon arrival. With the support of Britannia Community Services Centre