Writer and journalist Eliana Alves Cruz, who had wanted to write since she was 11, questioned why Brazil’s Jabuti literary prize took so long to recognize Black women in the Novel category. In 2026, she became the first to win the category, with Meridiana, at the 68th edition of the awards.
The author said writers such as Carolina Maria de Jesus, Conceição Evaristo and Ana Maria Gonçalves could have been recognized earlier. She said, however, that she sees an effort toward inclusion at the Jabuti and considers the awards given to be fair. Meridiana tells the story of a Black family living in a favela and seeking upward social mobility.
Eliana began researching her first successful book, Água de Barrela, after falling ill in 2009 and 2010. The work tells the story of her family, descended from enslaved Africans brought to Brazil, and won the Oliveira Silveira Literary Prize in 2015. In 2022, the writer won her first Jabuti, in the Short Stories category, with A vestida.
