Brazil LAB postdoc Rodrigo Simon de Moraes gave an interview to journalist Tania Morales on CBN Radio, a leading news radio network in Brazil, on the evening of last Friday, February 2. The discussion centered around his doctoral research findings on Brazilian writer Ricardo Guilherme Dicke and the release of Dicke's long-anticipated novel, "Madona dos Páramos."

Prominent Brazilian scholars consider Dicke one of the nation's greatest authors, yet his books have not been in print for decades, and most critics have largely ignored his work. Dicke, hailing from the state of Mato Grosso in the Central West region of Brazil, used his artistic journey to explore the complex dynamics between the center and periphery, challenging the traditional notions of literary significance within Brazilian literature.

Rodrigo Simon de Moraes is also editing a volume with Dicke’s previously unpublished short stories. In his interview with CBN, Simon de Moraes highlighted how Dicke, nearly fifty years ago, insightfully addressed pressing contemporary issues, giving nature a privileged role in his literature, focusing on the human-environment relationships.

Simon de Moraes explained that Dicke's vision diverged from the common narratives in Brazil and Latin America that portrayed nature as either a punitive force or a debasing element. Instead, Dicke saw nature as a conduit for human transcendence, a way to bridge the gap between life and death and access the 'sacred.' 

Check the full interview here.