Thiago Roney's New Book Explores Contemporary Amazon Through 24 Short Stories
Brazilian writer Thiago Roney is set to release his latest collection of short stories, titled 'Com o rio Negro na boca' (With the Negro River in the Mouth), published by Editora Valer. The book will be launched on July 14, 2026, at 7 PM at the Valer Teatro (Salão Verde) in Manaus. This new work features 24 stories, developed over 14 years, that delve into the contemporary Amazon and Brazil, moving beyond stereotypes. Roney's writing explores themes of family conflict, violence, religiosity, childhood, delirium, and social inequality, using the Negro River as a central symbolic image. The stories navigate between the grotesque and the lyrical, the violent and the tender, pushing the boundaries of everyday life. Characters confront extreme situations, transforming thought, memory, and language itself into narrative elements, blurring the lines between reality and delirium. Thiago Roney, a professor, researcher, and writer, holds a doctorate in Literature from the University of Brasília and a master's degree from the State University of Amazonas. His previous works include 'O estouro da artéria de um cavalo húngaro' (2013), 'A merda do mundo' (2015), 'O drone de Yebá Buró – um poema cosmopolítico' (2022), and 'Realismo dos fantasmas da periferia: o pensamento do realismo mágico' (2025).
This collection of short stories offers a literary exploration of contemporary Brazil and the Amazon, moving beyond common tropes to examine complex societal issues. The author's approach, blending the grotesque with the lyrical and pushing narrative boundaries, suggests a critical engagement with the region's realities. By focusing on internal conflicts, social inequalities, and the psychological states of characters, the work invites reflection on the human condition within specific environmental and cultural contexts. The use of the Negro River as a symbolic throughline indicates an attempt to capture the interconnectedness of nature, culture, and personal experience. The collection's examination of tension between reality and delirium may reflect broader societal anxieties and the challenges of perception in an increasingly complex world.
AI-generated to prompt reflection — not editorial opinion, not advice, not a statement of fact. How this works.