SAO PAOLO, BRAZIL — The Latin America Memorial Library in São Paulo recently opened its doors to an astonishing sight: almost entirely empty shelves. The initiative, driven by Amazon.com.br and AlmapBBDO, left only books authored by Black writers on display, exposing the glaring inequality in literary representation.
With over 50,000 titles usually lining its shelves, the library was reduced to just 5% of its collection in an undeniable visual metaphor for the systemic erasure of Black voices in literature. This bold move coincides with Amazon’s ongoing commitment to equity and inclusion, exemplified by the Vozes Negras Kindle Award.
Launched as a collaboration between Amazon Brazil and renowned publisher Companhia das Letras, the Vozes Negras Kindle Award aims to honor independent Black authors. The initiative not only awards cash prizes but also offers the grand prize winner a publishing deal and audiobook production by Audible Brasil. Submissions remain open until April 6, with the final ceremony scheduled for November 2025.
Though the situation has improved, the number of books published by authors of color is still far below where it should be in a country like Brazil, where 56% of the population identifies as Black or Brown (IBGE, 2020). “Representation in literature is crucial to promoting equal access to culture,” says Lillian Dakessian, head of Brand and Mass Marketing at Amazon Brasil. “This initiative invites readers to explore new perspectives and encourages more Black authors to have their stories amplified.”
“The first edition of the Vozes Negras Kindle Award is a reaffirmation of Amazon’s long-term commitment to Brazil, and to the development of literature and diverse voices. We’re proud to lend visibility to all sorts of Black talents through Kindle Direct Publishing,” says Ricardo Perez, Amazon’s Country Manager for Books in Brazil.
Beyond the visual impact of the emptied-out library, the event included a special event – a literary encounter dedicated to reading and discussing works by Black authors. The featured authors were Renan Gonçalves da Silva, reading “A voz que ninguém escutou” [The Voice Nobody Heard]; Vanessa Passos, who read excerpts from “A filha primitiva” [The Primitive Daughter], and Samuel Gomes, presenting his book “Guardei no armário“ [I Kept it in the Closet]. Renan and Vanessa are both former Kindle Book Awards winners, having participated in the contest that has honored independent authors for the past nine years.
The event allowed attendees the unique opportunity to share experiences and help strengthen Black literature in Brazil. The campaign was developed by AlmapBBDO.
About the Featured Authors
Renan Silva (Rio de Janeiro/RJ) is a writer, historian, poet, teacher, and scriptwriter. He has a graduate degree in creative writing from NESPE and won the 8th annual Kindle Book Award (2024) with “A voz que ninguém escutou”.
Vanessa Passos (Fortaleza/CE) is a writer and teacher with a graduate degree in creative writing. She is the author of “A filha primitiva,” which won the Kindle Book Award (2021).
Samuel Gomes (São Paulo/SP) was named one of the Top Voices on Linkedin in 2019. He is a writer, speaker, content creator, presenter, motion designer, creative director, and diversity consultant. In 2015, he started the YouTube channel “Guardei no armário,” in which he interviews people about the process of accepting their sexualities; that year, he also released the first edition of the book of the same name.
More information about the Vozes Negras Kindle Award here: amazon.com.br/premiovozesnegras.
