Brazil has elected its first Black woman to the Brazilian Academy of Letters, founded in 1897 and modelled on the Académie Française. It is a 950-page historical novel that she describes as “the history of Brazil told from the point of view of a Black woman”. “I’m the first Black woman, but I can’t be the only one,” said Gonçalves, who will be just the sixth woman among the 40 members, or “immortals”, as they refer to themselves. The academy had as its first president a Black man, Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, widely considered the greatest Brazilian writer of all time. Secure Messaging in the Guardian app The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories.