Brazil launches national book plan 2026–35
- Brazil’s Culture and Education ministries signed an interministerial ordinance on April 23 creating the National Book and Reading Plan, a new federal roadmap for 2026–2036. - The plan targets a 55% readership rate by 2035, up from 47%, and pairs access goals with lower book prices and more bookstores. - The rollout follows a 2025 public consultation and revives a Lula-era state policy first built in 2004. (gov.br)
Brazil’s Culture Ministry and Education Ministry signed a new National Book and Reading Plan on April 23, setting Brazil’s federal book policy through 2036. (gov.br) The ordinance was signed in Brasília during World Book Day events attended by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Culture Minister Margareth Menezes, and Education Minister Leonardo Barchini. (gov.br) (agenciagov.ebc.com.br) The new cycle runs from 2026 to 2036 and sets a headline goal of lifting the share of readers in Brazil to 55% by 2035, from 47% now. (publishingperspectives.com) (gov.br) Officials said the plan is organized around four pillars: democratizing access, promoting reading and training mediators, institutional recognition, and developing the book economy. The Culture Ministry also said the new version adds creative writing as a central practice. (gov.br) That makes the policy broader than a school reading campaign. It covers books, reading, literature, writing, and libraries, and is meant to guide federal action across the sector for a decade. (publishingperspectives.com) (gov.br) The plan also arrives after a long drafting process. Brazil opened a public consultation on the new PNLL on July 7, 2025, and the ministries said regional seminars and a thematic conference fed into the final text. (agenciagov.ebc.com.br 1) (agenciagov.ebc.com.br 2) The government is tying the new plan to book access and distribution, not just symbolism. Publishing Perspectives reported that officials are focusing on reducing book prices and expanding bookstores into underserved regions. (publishingperspectives.com) The same April 23 push included a separate grassroots retail event, Noite das Livrarias, or Bookstore Night, with more than 91 bookstores in about 31 Brazilian cities staying open late for launches, readings, concerts, and children’s programs. (publishingperspectives.com) Brazil’s government is presenting the PNLL as a renewed state policy rather than a one-off campaign. The Culture Ministry says the plan traces back to work begun in 2004 and earlier Lula administrations, and now resets that agenda for the next decade. (gov.br)
