Machado de Assis Award
Literary Prize
The Brazilian Academy of History and Literature (ABHL) hereby announces the institutional call for the Machado de Assis Award, a literary prize in the Decorations and Awards class intended to recognize consistent authorial trajectories and relevant contributions to language, literature, and cultural formation.
Inspired by the intellectual legacy of Machado de Assis, this Award distinguishes works and paths in which the writing reveals command of language, aesthetic maturity, and a profound reading of the human, observed contextually — not by fame, but by demonstrable merit.
If approved, ABHL formalizes the conferral through institutional registration, a digital certificate, and a public member profile on the website, with publicity consistent with academic decorum.
TARGET AUDIENCE
The Machado de Assis Award is intended for writers whose literary production shows quality and consistency, with published work and verifiable evidence of trajectory, cultural reception, impact, or thematic relevance in the field of letters.
The following may apply, among other compatible profiles:
novelists, short story writers, chroniclers, novella writers;
poets with a consistent body of work;
literary essayists and authors of humanistic reflection;
playwrights and authors of literary texts;
authors whose work engages with philosophy, psychology, history, and the human condition.
Do you need to be “famous” to receive this Award?
It is common to associate the name “Machado de Assis” with an unattainable level and to conclude that only nationally acclaimed writers can be considered. At ABHL, the criterion is not media notoriety, but rather body of work, consistency, and verifiable evidence. If you have built a serious authorial path — even outside the spotlight — this process exists to allow institutional assessment with sobriety and criteria, without requiring celebrity as a precondition.
Areas related to ABHL's Academic Sections (highlighted):
Letters, Literature, and Language Studies;
Philosophy, Humanities, and Critical Thought;
History, Memory, and Cultural Heritage;
Arts, Aesthetics, and Cultural Production;
Education and Intellectual Formation.
In establishing the Machado de Assis Award, ABHL seeks to:
recognize literary trajectories of merit, with aesthetic consistency and authorial maturity;
value literature as an instrument for interpreting the human and historical time;
record relevant works and paths as part of cultural memory and legacy;
strengthen the institutional recognition of contemporary literary production.
RULES
To ensure integrity and prestige:
Responsible self-application: the applicant may submit their own application, taking responsibility for the information provided.
Truthfulness: information, works, and documents must be true, complete, and verifiable.
Literary evidence: attach materials compatible with the Honor, such as published books, relevant texts, publishing records (ISBN when available), awards (when available), critical/cultural reception, prefaces, reviews, and studies on the work.
Conduct and integrity: plagiarism, falsification, and fraud are grounds for elimination.
Practical recommendation: organize a brief dossier (1–3 pages) with main works, official links, and key evidence.
Honor Granted
This process allows self-application
(the application may be submitted by the interested person.)
Benefits
Criteria
Testimonials
O valor é devido somente se for aprovado.
Podendo ser pago à vista (Boleto ou Pix) ou parcelado em até 6x no cartão de crédito
A taxa é ÚNICA, NÃO HÁ ANUIDADE e é utilizado
à certificação institucional, registro acadêmico e custeio do processo administrativo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply directly for this Award?
Yes. This Award accepts self-application, through a responsible submission.
Which criteria prevail in the evaluation?
literary quality, command of language, coherence, and maturity of the work.
Is there any prohibition that causes immediate denial?
Yes: defamatory content, lack of supporting evidence, false/manipulated/unattributed material.
Is payment required for the evaluation?
No. The Institutional Fee is due only after approval.
Is the process public?
ABHL conducts the procedure with discretion and to an institutional standard, preserving the reputation of the nominee and the integrity of the rite.
TERMS OF THE CALLMACHADO DE ASSIS AWARD
I — Purpose
To establish the rules for the receipt, analysis, and conferral of the Machado de Assis Award, a highly prestigious literary honor of ABHL.
II — Nature of the Honor
The Award is honorary, academic-cultural, and institutional in nature, and does not constitute professional certification or a formal academic degree.
III — Eligibility and Scope
Writers with an established literary body of work compatible with the objectives of the honor may apply.
IV — Application and Documentation
The application will be made by direct submission, by completing the Petition Form and sending supporting documentation.
V — Process Stages
In general terms, the procedure will follow these phases:
a) Receipt and document screening;
b) Preliminary validation of consistency and category fit;
c) Technical analysis and institutional research;
d) Deliberation and issuance of the Technical Review;
e) Formal notice of the result;
f) Final formalities and institutional registration.
VI — Results
The result may be:
Granted (honor approved), or
Denied (honor not conferred in the cycle under review).
VII — Declarations and Responsibilities
The proposer declares the truthfulness of the content submitted and, upon accepting to proceed, authorizes the institutional processing and may be asked to validate information necessary for registration.
VIII — Institutional Fee
Once approved and after the signing of the HONOR CONFERRAL AND ACCEPTANCE AGREEMENT, the Institutional Fee will be formalized, intended to cover institutional certification, academic registration, and the administrative costs of the conferral and documentation process.
This stage applies only to processes that advance to formalization, enabling the issuance and provision of official documents.
IX — General Provisions
Matters not covered herein will be resolved by the competent bodies of ABHL.
A full reading of this page is recommended before submitting the application.