Poems written by homeless people are a highlight at Flip.

Revista Da Calçada, a pioneering magazine in the country, will be the subject of a roundtable discussion about the behind-the-scenes aspects of the publication. Photo: Renan Areias / SMAS

Flip isn't just for established authors and aspiring literary stars. The 24th edition of the Paraty International Literary Festival, running from July 22nd to 26th, also makes room for those who have never been involved in the field and don't usually have a voice to express their feelings. On July 24th, at 5:30 PM, the House of Reading and Knowledge will host a discussion panel at Flip entitled "Revista da Calçada – when the invisible write the city." The topic of the conversation will be the first magazine in the country published with poems written by homeless people.

Launched in February 2026, the magazine Da Calçada (From the Sidewalk) brings together 46 texts produced by participants in 41 poetry workshops promoted by the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Secretariat of Social Assistance (SMAS) for sheltered individuals who previously lived on the streets. The workshops, held between June and September of last year in more than 15 shelters within the municipal network, were coordinated by writer Léo Motta, who also experienced homelessness and is the author of the trilogy Há Vida Depois das Marquises (There is Life After the Awnings). The most recent edition of the work was launched at the Rio Book Biennial in 2025. This initiative is part of the Super-Ação project, created by Motta in partnership with SMAS to promote knowledge, artistic expression, and social reintegration through art and literature.

The discussion panel at Flip will bring together Léo Motta and Pedro Gerolimich, president of the City's Official Press, the municipal body responsible for publishing the magazine. They will discuss the collective creation process and reveal behind-the-scenes details of the text's development, which involved 654 people. During and after the discussion, copies of Da Calçada magazine will be distributed free of charge, and there will also be a reading of poems.

Pains and dreams

The texts speak of the painful experiences of their authors on the streets. In the verses, there are outpourings, as in the poem "Limit," about a "heart broken by the hardships of the past." But there is also hope, as in "Journey of Life," in which the poet describes his faith in tomorrow, in regaining his family and "being completely happy."

– These are people we bring out of invisibility by offering them shelter, care, and culture. The magazine gives a voice to those who never had one, and the Poetry Workshops confirm the potential of participatory art – says Motta. Gerolimich, author of the preface, writes that the material is “rich in memories of a city that pulsates with culture, humanity, and new hopes.”

Launched in May 2025, Super-Ação carries out weekly activities offering poetry workshops and outings to tourist attractions and cultural production sites in the city to those sheltered in SMAS units. The project gave rise to the Sarau Poético Marquises, formed exclusively by people experiencing homelessness, and the magazine Da Calçada.