Journalist Míriam Leitão elected to Brazilian Academy of Letters

Journalist and writer Míriam Leitão has been elected to Chair 7 of the Brazilian Academy of Letters (ABL), filling the vacancy left by filmmaker Cacá Diegues, who passed away in February. She received 20 out of the 34 votes cast by the academy members.

Elected on Wednesday (Apr. 30), Leitão is the 12th woman to join the academy, and she becomes the fifth woman currently holding a seat in the ABL.

The president of the ABL, journalist Merval Pereira, stated that Míriam Leitão possesses all the qualifications to be part of the academy, highlighting her active involvement and broad range of interests. “She is both feminine and feminist. We need to enhance our female representation, and Míriam’s election comes at a crucial time. As we expand our activities across various fields, she will be a valuable addition,” he added.

Academy member Rosiska Darcy expressed her joy at welcoming the new ABL “immortal” member. “She truly deserves this honor—she is a journalist across all media and a woman renowned throughout Brazil. This election is, above all, the election of a democratic woman in a democratic process. We can only celebrate this moment. It makes me happy because it strengthens the presence of women in the Academy.”

Academician Ruy Castro also celebrated Míriam Leitão’s election, stating, “This is an Academy of Letters, and Míriam Leitão is a true professional of the word. As a columnist for an important newspaper, she is an advocate of the word in action—something we greatly need in the Academy.”

Biography

Born in Caratinga, Minas Gerais state, on April 7, 1953, Míriam Azevedo de Almeida Leitão is the sixth of 12 children. She is married to writer and political scientist Sérgio Abranches and has two sons, Vladimir Netto and Matheus Leitão, both of whom are journalists.

She began her professional career in Espírito Santo state, later moving to Brasília and São Paulo, before settling permanently in Rio de Janeiro in 1986.

She is a writer with 16 published books across various literary genres, including non-fiction, chronicles, novels, and children’s books. As a journalist, she has worked in print, radio, TV, and digital media. With 53 years of professional experience, she has contributed to several major outlets, including Gazeta Mercantil and Jornal do Brasil.

Since 1991, she has been with the Globo group, serving as a columnist for the newspaper O Globo, TV news commentator, and TV talk show host.