Sérgio Vaz

Origin

Ladainha, MG

Genres

poetry, marginal literature

Biography

Sérgio Vaz is a renowned Brazilian poet born in Ladainha who moved to São Paulo in his childhood and, later, settled in Taboão da Serra. Throughout his career, he has stood out for bringing literature closer to the working classes and for founding important cultural movements in the periphery of São Paulo. Influenced from a young age by readings such as Jorge Amado's Captains of the Sands, he sought to transform the reality around him through the written word and spoken poetry.

In 2000, the poet founded the Cooperativa Cultural da Periferia, known as Cooperifa, transforming a bar in the southern zone of São Paulo into a literary meeting point and artistic resistance that gathers hundreds of people weekly. In addition to the famous poetry reading event, he conceived remarkable events such as the Periphery's Modern Art Week, the Rain of Books, and Poetry in the Air, consolidating his role as one of the country's most influential cultural agitators and being honored by the Imperatriz do Samba samba school.

His literary work began with independent publications, such as Subindo a ladeira mora a noite and Pensamentos vadios, before gaining national prominence with books released by Global Editora, such as Colecionador de Pedras and Literatura, pão e poesia. The impact of his activism and poetry has also gone beyond books, being cited in songs by artists such as Rael and Iza, and receiving important awards such as the Trip Transformadores Award and honors from UNICEF.