The Casa de Cultura Josué Montello is part of the Maranhão State Culture System.
It is designed to promote studies, research and work in the areas of literature, the arts, social sciences, history, geography, in short, the artistic and cultural manifestations of the state.
Initially, the CCJM was housed in its own building in Largo do Ribeirão.
The growth of the collection at the Josué Montello House of Culture led to its premises being moved to an old house belonging to the João Pereira family, located on Rua das Hortas, corner Rua do Coqueiro, which was acquired by the state government in 1989.
From March 1990, the House began operating in this building after it had been restored and adapted for its purposes.
In the first half of 1997, the House underwent a process of restoration, expansion and modernisation of its physical facilities, with funds raised through the Association of Friends of the Josué Montello House of Culture – AACCJM, from MINC/MECENATO-TELEBRÁS, with the intervention of the Government of Maranhão.
The raison d’être of this cultural space is still present, with collections of works from the writer Josué Montello’s private library, as well as personal objects and documents.
Video “Casa de Cultura Josué Montello in São Luís do Maranhão”
Casa de Cultura Josué Montello
The Josué Montello House of Culture was founded by the State Secretariat for Culture and today houses a collection of 60,000 works by various authors. Its foundation was only possible thanks to the 20,000 works donated by the author.
The House was inaugurated on 23 January 1983 and exhibits literary collections and photographic and documentary records, medals and commendations about the writer’s life and work, and offers services to students and researchers.
The collection has 50,000 titles donated by the writer, including literary works signed by great names in Brazilian and Maranhão literature.
The Josué Montello House of Culture promotes studies and subsidises the development of studies in the field of literature and the human sciences with the aim of preserving documentation relating to the writer’s life and work.
Events such as seminars, conferences, debates, lectures, symposiums on literary or social-historical themes, open to the community, concerts and recitals are also held there
In addition to the books, the place also houses photographs, medals, commendations, plaques, paintings, a sword, dictionaries, newsletters and magazines related to the writer.
Biography of Josué Montello
Biography – Josué Montello was born in São Luís on 21 August 1917.
His works include Os tambores de São Luís, from 1965, the trilogy made up of the novels Duas vezes perdida, from 1966, and Glorinha, from 1977, and the novel Perto da meia-noite, from 1985.
Several of Josué Montello’s books have been translated into English, French, Spanish, German and Swedish.
Some of his novels have been scripted for the cinema. In 1976, Uma tarde, outra tarde was adapted for the cinema under the title O amor aos 40 (Love at 40); and in 1978, O monstro (The Monster) was filmed as O monstro de Santa Teresa (The Monster of Santa Teresa).
