The Arab imagination and the fantastic: the contribution of Malba Tahan's tales

• Grant number: 25/12095-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: October 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Literature - Comparative Literature
• Principal Investigator: Paulo César Ribeiro Filho
• Grantee: Yara da Silva Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This Scientific Initiation research proposal aims to investigate the nature of the short stories written by Júlio César de Mello e Souza, under the pseudonym Malba Tahan, aimed at children and young people, from the perspective of literary genres of the imaginary. The research will be carried out using bibliographical review and literary analysis methods, focusing on the construction of the supernatural imaginary in the works of Malba Tahan and on the comparison with authors linked to the fantasy genre, such as Murilo Rubião and José J. Veiga, to the marvelous, such as Monteiro Lobato and Pedro Bandeira, as well as Brazilian writers who cultivate children's and young people's works with aesthetics located on the outskirts of the fictional unusual. In addition, the study will analyze how the author uses such aesthetic resources to represent the Arab setting and stimulate the imagination of young readers. The research will also seek, in the background, to understand how Malba Tahan's short stories contributed to the dissemination of Arab culture in Brazil, contributing, in this sense, to attitudes that endorse at least three of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, namely: 4 - Quality education, 10 - Reduction of inequalities and 16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions. The aim is to draw parallels between the universe created by Malba Tahan and Brazilian youth short stories, highlighting their impact on the formation of a unique cultural imaginary and their relevance to national children's and young adult literature.