Waldson de Almeida Dias named ambassador of the 21st Book Fair

Decree No. 1,667, dated August 13, 2026, formalized the appointment. Waldson is a professor, writer, researcher, and permanent public servant of the City Council of Foz do Iguaçu, where he has lived since 2004.

His academic background includes a master's degree in Latin American Studies from the Federal University of Latin American Integration (Unila), where he is also a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature. He holds a bachelor's degree in Languages with an emphasis on Spanish and Spanish-Language Literatures from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), as well as training in Public Management from the Federal Institute of Santa Catarina (IFSC) and a postgraduate degree in Public Policies from the Federal Institute of Paraná (IFPR).

Before moving to Foz do Iguaçu, he worked for Grupo RBS in Rio Grande do Sul, primarily in radio. In 2004, he was invited to help launch the publishing house Editares, where he performed writing and editing duties. He participated in the creation of the Academy of Letters of Foz do Iguaçu and was one of the organizers of the first edition of the Book Fair in 2005.

As a writer, he published the book Pandemia em Crônicas. His research focuses on literature, multiculturalism, racism, ethnic-racial relations, Haitian identity, diaspora, and Black women’s literature, with particular attention to authors such as Carolina Maria de Jesus, Maya Angelou, and Conceição Evaristo.

He maintains a personal library of thousands of books and regularly attends fairs and literary festivals in Brazil and abroad. The honor is purely ceremonial and cultural, creating no functional link, salary, or any financial benefit. The Cultural Foundation will issue a certificate to the honoree.

Source: Prefeitura Municipal de Foz do Iguaçu