Manaus Ágil tourism and culture of the AmazonBanca do Largo's collection features titles by writers from Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, and Acre.
With more than a thousand works by authors from the North region, which talk about the fauna, flora, history, besides Amazonian poetry, the Banca do Largo is a refuge for students, researchers and lovers of regional literature. Located in the Largo de São Sebastiãothe stand brings together authors such as Milton Hatoum, Marcio Souza, Max Carphentier e Mario Ypiranga.
Joaquim Melo, who is responsible for the newsstand that was created 12 years ago, remembers that the creation of the location came from an old dream of forming a bookstore.
"Since I was a child I always wanted to have a bookstore. In 2006 I had the opportunity to set up this space and I started dividing the sales between magazines and books. As time went by, more people started looking for Amazon-related content. That's when I gathered the books I already had at home and started to collect specific content about the region", she says.
With current and historical works, the Banca do Largo has become a reference among researchers and students from all over the world. Joaquim says that tourists interested in acquiring the books get in touch in advance to choose the works.
"There are researchers from the United States who, when they have a trip scheduled to Manaus, send me an e-mail with their wish lists", Joaquim recalls. "Many researchers and students pass through here, and for this reason I select the type of work that I can buy to put on the stand. I think about all the details to better serve this public".
Authors from other states in the North region, such as Pará, Rondônia, and Acre, are also in the collection. Joaquim points out that he has traveled to all regions of Brazil in search of Amazonian rarities.
"In every city I visit, I look for books that talk about the Amazon. These books are often very rare and very sought after by visitors to the stall," he comments.
Located in the Largo de São Sebastião, the Banca do Largo is open every day from 4pm to 9pm. Joaquim Melo also serves customers who need specific works and has the phone number 98255-3433 for more information.
