The adoption of a baby by a couple unable to have children is the point of departure for The Past is an Imperfect Tense, in which Bernardo Kucinski tells the story of a father-son relationship that begins intense and loving and ends up in pieces. Three factors come together in the story of the boy's life: adoption, drug addiction and racism. The father - who is also the narrator - asks himself, "Would it have been possible at any point to alter the course of this story? Or was it all destined to be?".

Brazilian journalist, political scientist, University of São Paulo professor and author of The Past is an Imperfect Tense, Bernardo Kucinski, joins LAB and Sounds and Colours for a Q&A about his recently-published novel.

Bernardo and Tom Gatehouse, the book's English translator, will read excerpts from the novel in Portuguese and English, contextualised by an exclusive and personal discussion about the book, between Bernardo and British journalist, Sue Branford.

Free event via Zoom, with option to donate and purchase the book. You will be sent a private Zoom link after registering for tickets.

About the book:

While Kucinski's treatment of the story is meticulous and subtle, he writes in a terse style that pulls no punches. The result is a poignant text that confirms Kucinski's place as one of the most outstanding writers of today. Kucinski has received Brazil's Jabuti Award on two occasions and was awarded the Brazilian National Library Literary Prize in 2014 for the best short story collection (Você Vai Voltar Pra Mim). He was also a finalist for the International Literature Award in 2014 and was shortlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for the English version of his novel K in 2015. You can purchase a copy here or combine it with your ticket to the event.

Read Serena Chang's review of the book for Sounds and Colours.

The Past Is An Imperfect Tense Book Launch

Follow this organiser to stay informed on future events

Events you might like

The Perfection of an Imperfect ArtistThe Perfection of an Imperfect Artist

Book Launch: Hannah Pool's The GameBook Launch: Hannah Pool's The Game

The Perfection of an Imperfect Artist

Book Launch: Hannah Pool's The Game