Machado de Assis was born in 1839 of mixed race, an epileptic with little formal education. Yet from these humble origins he went on to become Brazil’s greatest writer - the ‘Charles Dickens’ of Rio de Janeiro. Brazilians grow up reading his stories and novels, but why does the rest of the world know so little about this literary genius? His work gives us an unexpected view of colonial Rio, with snobbery and intrigue and a comic insight into the life of the rich and poor alike.

Just as Dickens tore apart the surface of London life, so Machado digs into the very society he was aspiring to join, with the type of humour that in Salman Rushdie’s view ‘makes skulls smile’. He introduces us to an unexpected side of Rio society, and we find that it is still relevant to issues in Brazil today.

Juliana Iootty of the BBC Brazilian Service goes out on to the streets of Rio to discover just what the people of this vibrant and colourful city make of their literary star, and retraces Machado de Assis’s extraordinary life under the tropical sun.

(Photo: Juliana Iooty on Ipanema beach) Show less