The Brazilian author and illustrator Daniel Condo presented his latest work, ‘Eletricista,’ at the festival in Óbidos. Co-authored with Augusto Massi, this piece offers Fólio attendees what Condo describes as “a revolutionary literary experience, designed to make reading truly accessible to everyone.”
The book, available in a conventional format, includes a digital code that provides access to an interactive platform. Here, readers can explore the book fully translated into sign language, enjoy an audio narration, and experience a 3D walkthrough of the narrative through virtual reality glasses.
“This innovation is happening in Brazil, and we decided to bring it to the festival themed ‘Fronteiras’, showcasing that in reading, borders can be overcome, attracting more readers who find in this project both enjoyment and a complement to the book,” stated Daniel Condo.
The technology is being developed by the Brazilian publisher ELO, which currently offers “more than twenty titles in this format” and aims to “expand to around 300 books, especially for children,” according to the company’s administrator Marcos Araújo.
“The technology supports not only making books more inclusive but also attracts new readers who might initially not be drawn to reading. Using this method, they become interested in books, explore others available and accessible at their fingertips, and eventually read more,” he added.
In Brazil, where these books are available in educational centers, “children on the autism spectrum have been the most receptive to this technology. Among these children, those using glasses tend to ‘watch’ all available books in the application’s library,” stated Araújo.
Condo and the publisher are considering “bringing this technology to Portugal” and including “books by Portuguese authors” in the collection, said Daniel Kondo. Kondo, who has published works with Alfarroba in Portugal, has received accolades such as the Jabuti Award for Best Children’s Book (2022), UNESCO Chair in Reading Award, João-de-Barros Prize, and the National Foundation for Children’s and Youth Books Award.
Reading for all will be a key theme at the International Inclusion Seminar, part of the Fólio program, where the work “Between symbols, sounds, textures, and images: A guide to multi-format children’s books” will be introduced, among other initiatives aimed at making reading more inclusive.
The Fólio, running in Óbidos until the 19th, features three Nobel Laureates in Literature: Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich, South African J. M. Coetzee, and Hungarian László Krasznahorkai, among over 460 events including more than a hundred author-public discussions, 15 author panels, colloquiums, seminars, book launches, concerts, and award ceremonies.
Organized by the municipality of Óbidos, in collaboration with the municipal company Óbidos Criativa, Ler Devagar, and the Inatel Foundation, the Fólio has been held since 2015 in the town designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Literature.