Public policies for reading and literature: authoritarian legacy and influence of the market

abstract This essay examines how the legacy of authoritarian rule has impacted Brazil’s educational and cultural projects, including access to books and other literary manifestations. The article describes and discusses the key initiatives in the public sector that were implemented to counteract this legacy. Among these is the Proler (a national program to promote reading) in the 1980’s, and the PNLL - National Program for Books and Reading, that was launched in 2011. The essay establishes parallels between these two governmental programs and the track record of another program created to promote reading established at the UERJ (University of the State of Rio de Janeiro), which originated in Proler.