Academia Brasileira de Literatura de Cordel

Guardian of Northeastern Tradition in the Heart of Rio de Janeiro Founded on 7 September 1988, the Academia Brasileira de Literatura de Cordel (ABLC) has played a central role in preserving and promoting cordel literature in Brazil. It is recognised as the leading literary body dedicated to bringing together the great names of this cultural form, typical of Brazil's Northeast. The ABLC headquarters, at Rua Leopoldo Fróes 37, holds an impressive collection of more than 13,000 cordel chapbooks, along with some 1,300 books on popular culture, cordel literature and Northeastern traditions. The space also holds woodcut blocks, hand printing presses, type archives, violas and objects from the sertão, offering visitors a full immersion in the world of cordel. The history of the ABLC is one of collective effort by cordel writers and enthusiasts of Northeastern culture. At first the meetings took place wherever they could — bars and restaurants — until, in 1990, General Humberto Pelegrino donated the building that houses the Academy today. Before that, the site was home to the Casa de Cultura São Saruê, a museum devoted to Northeastern traditions. In more than 30 years, the ABLC has worked to pull cordel literature out of the margins and present it as an artistic expression of real cultural weight. The institution runs events, exhibitions and talks to spread the tradition and keep it alive.