The First Reader: On Writers and Editors

From one of the world’s most celebrated literary publishers, a beautiful and candid meditation on the art of being a partner to creative greatness

For 40 years, Companhia das Letras, the Brazilian publishing house founded by Luiz Schwarcz, has stood for a steadfast and imaginative commitment to its authors and their books. As its reputation grew, the house became the home of an increasing share — and eventually an astonishing one — of globally important writers.

That special responsibility has given Schwarcz and his colleagues a special vantage on the craft of being a good partner to a creative force. It is a special kind of dance, involving diplomacy, fierce commitment, humility, attention to detail, and an intuitive feel for the coherence of the book as both text and physical object. It’s a delicate matter even when both parties are at their best, which is inevitably not always the case. And unlike other dances, it takes place in silence, a special kind of silence that forms a channel between that of the writer and that of the reader.

In THE FIRST READER, Schwarcz offers up insights and stories that bring this special relationship to life. He writes with delightful candor about some of the world’s greatest writers and trickiest personalities, always at heart retaining his honest love and reverence for what these artists can do, and what they can mean in the world. For anyone involved in the practice of creative collaboration, in any medium and on any level, the book is a master class, and a source of inspiration and delight.