Lira Nordestina

Lira Nordestina is a Brazilian publisher and letterpress print shop specialising in literatura de cordel, the popular narrative chapbook tradition of northeastern Brazil. It is located in Juazeiro do Norte, in the southern part of the state of Ceará. Its history is inseparable from the history of cordel publishing in Brazil: it began in 1926 when José Bernardo da Silva, a pilgrim from Alagoas, arrived in Juazeiro do Norte, received the blessing of Padre Cícero, and started working as a folheteiro, a seller of cordel pamphlets. In 1932 he bought his first typographic machines and launched Tipografia Silva, later renamed Tipografia São Francisco. In 1949 he acquired the publication rights to works by two of Brazil's greatest cordel poets, Leandro Gomes de Barros and João Martins de Athayde. During the 1950s Tipografia São Francisco became the most important cordel publisher in Brazil. From the late 1960s the publisher and the pamphlet trade in general entered a period of difficulty, and sales fell; the founder died in 1972. In 1988 the Government of the State of Ceará bought Tipografia São Francisco and placed it under the care of the Universidade Regional do Cariri (URCA). The press later became part of the Ministry of Culture's Ponto de Cultura programme, valid from 28 December 2005 to 30 December 2010, and several projects were approved, including three in the 2010 Mais Cultura Literatura de Cordel notice (Edição Patativa do Assaré) and the Interações Estéticas em Pontos de Cultura project. In 2011 the direction changed: Anna Christina Farias de Carvalho was replaced by Fábio José Rodrigues da Costa, a professor in the Visual Arts Department of URCA's Escola de Artes Reitora Violeta Arraes Gervaiseau. In 2015 Lira Nordestina moved to the Complexo Multiuso, its current address. The publisher has faced criticism over neglect and the dismissal of long-serving woodcut artists, and there have been discussions with IPHAN about declaring it a national heritage asset. Today it continues to produce cordel literature and xylograph prints, functioning as a living cultural institution tied to URCA.

The history of Lira Nordestina is intertwined with the history of literatura de cordel in Brazil. In 1926, José Bernardo da Silva, a pilgrim from Alagoas, travelled to Juazeiro do Norte. After asking for the blessing of Padre Cícero, he began working as a folheteiro, as cordel pamphlet sellers were known. In 1932 he bought his first typographic machines and launched Tipografia Silva. The company was later renamed Tipografia São Francisco. In 1949, José Bernardo da Silva acquired, through purchase, the publication rights to two of Brazil's greatest cordel poets: Leandro Gomes de Barros and João Martins de Athayde. During the 1950s, Tipografia São Francisco became the most important cordel publisher in Brazil. At the end of the 1960s, a period of difficulty began for the publisher and for the pamphlet trade in general. The decline in sales coincided with the death of the company's founder in 1972. In 1988, the Government of the State of Ceará bought Tipografia São Francisco and subsequently placed the publisher under the care of the Universidade Regional do Cariri (URCA). It became part of the Ponto de Cultura programme of the Ministry of Culture, valid from 28 December 2005 to 30 December 2010. Several projects were approved. Three projects were approved in the 2010 Mais Cultura Literatura de Cordel notice – Edição Patativa do Assaré, proposed by members of the Ponto de Cultura José Stênio Diniz, Cícero Lourenço Gonzaga and Anna Christina Farias de Carvalho. Execution also began on the Projeto Interações Estéticas em Pontos de Cultura, FUNART Edição 2010, proposed by Amanda Senna, a visual artist from Pernambuco graduated from the Federal University of Pernambuco, and her partner Juliana Falcão, a theatre and dance actress. The project was titled Movimento e Voz em Cordel: Uma proposta de interação entre a Literatura de cordel, o Teatro de Mamulengo e o Teatro de Sombras. In 2011, the direction of Lira Nordestina, then located at the Pirajá campus of URCA, changed. Professor Anna Christina Farias de Carvalho was replaced by Fábio José Rodrigues da Costa, a professor in the Department of Visual Arts of the Escola de Artes Reitora Violeta Arraes Gervaiseau at the Universidade Regional do Cariri. In 2015, Lira Nordestina was moved to the Complexo Multiuso, its current address. In 2012, Renato Casimiro, a professor at FJN (Faculdade de Juazeiro do Norte), published a short text denouncing the neglect with which various bodies and authorities were treating Lira Nordestina. He cited the termination of the CLT contract of xylographer Cícero Lourenço (linked to Lira since 1988 and to URCA since 2005) and of xylographer Airton Laurindo (linked to Lira since 1988 and to URCA since 2004). Airton was notified by the Pro-Rector of Administration of URCA, Professor Antonia Cileide de Araújo, that he should sign a notice of dismissal. One of the justifications presented personally to the employee by the Pro-Rector was that people like him contribute nothing to URCA. Casimiro argued that the new direction of Lira, under Professor Fábio Rodrigues, seemed inefficient even in allowing Lira to continue precariously fulfilling what had once been one of the glories of the cultural matrix of Juazeiro do Norte and Cariri. He stated: 'I am not deluded: this is not incompetence. This is bad faith, it is disrespect. It is ignorance associated with intentions that are not publicly confessed and in the service of what is even worse sheltered in URCA, due to unovercome rancours, originating in prejudiced and mediocre spirits who insist on not understanding the vocation, commitment and social responsibility of the institution.' Regarding Lira Nordestina as a national asset, discussions were held with the Institute of National Historical and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) to promote patrimonialisation and self-sustainability, for the maintenance of the memory and operation of the Lira Nordestina press. A meeting with anthropologists and technicians from national and Ceará IPHAN was held at the Universidade Regional do Cariri (URCA) in Crato for this purpose. Initial debates pointed to greater attention for this equipment. The Culture Advisory of the Pro-Rectorate of Extension (Proex) of URCA highlighted the concern to ensure not only the revitalisation of Lira Nordestina but also the necessary support for those who make the press continue its work functions while maintaining the heritage.

• 2015

  Moves to the Complexo Multiuso, its current address.

• 2012

  Renato Casimiro publishes criticism denouncing neglect and dismissals of xylographers.

• 2011

  Direction changes: Anna Christina Farias de Carvalho replaced by Fábio José Rodrigues da Costa.

• 2010

  Three projects approved in the Mais Cultura Literatura de Cordel notice – Edição Patativa do Assaré.

• 2005

  Becomes part of the Ministry of Culture's Ponto de Cultura programme (valid until 2010).

• 1988

  Government of Ceará buys Tipografia São Francisco and places it under URCA.

• 1972

  Death of founder José Bernardo da Silva.

• 1950

  Tipografia São Francisco becomes the most important cordel publisher in Brazil.

• 1949

  Acquires publication rights to works by Leandro Gomes de Barros and João Martins de Athayde.

• 1932

  Buys first typographic machines and launches Tipografia Silva.

• 1926

  José Bernardo da Silva arrives in Juazeiro do Norte and begins working as a folheteiro.

Historic cordel publisher and cultural heritage print shop in northeastern Brazil

• Cordel chapbooks (folhetos)

• Xylograph prints

• Ponto de Cultura
• Mais Cultura Literatura de Cordel 2010 – Edição Patativa do Assaré
• Projeto Interações Estéticas em Pontos de Cultura, FUNART Edição 2010

1. 1Lira Nordestina - Wikipedia (Portuguese)pt.wikipedia.org
2. 2Lira Nordestina - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Universidade Regional do Cariri – URCAurca.br