The Department of Spanish and Portuguese is honored to present Alexandra Lucas Coelho as she delivers a talk in support of her new novel, "Brazil and Portugal: 517 Years of Colonial Ghosts." In this 568-page work, set in contemporary Rio de Janeiro, Coelho tries to unbury some ghosts of the colonial history that connects Portugal and Brazil, including the killing of at least one million Amerindians and what was by far the longest and largest experience of slave traffic between Europe, Africa and America.

In her talk, Coelho will discuss why and how she came to write her book, why and how Portugal became the biggest slave trading power in the Atlantic Ocean, how this is connected to the present and future, the novel as a transgender text, and more.

The event will be held on November 17th, 2017, at 2:20 pm in Hagerty Hall room 255.