The article examines the role of literature in the construction and contestation of urban narratives, emphasizing how literary fiction engages with culture in the representation of cities. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the study explores how literary texts from the Global South — such as Brazilian classic books like "Os Sertões" (1902) by Euclides da Cunha and "O Quinze" (1930) by Rachel de Queiroz — reshape discourses on urban space, challenge persistent colonial structures, and open pathways for new territorial interpretations. Literature is analyzed not merely as a mirror of the city but as an active agent in cultural production, influencing debates on identity, memory, and resistance.To broaden this perspective, the article fosters a dialogue between literature and urbanism, examining how these urban narratives circulate and evolve globally. The discussion also considers how literary narratives function as tools of resistance, giving visibility to marginalized voices and challenging dominant spatial ideologies. Furthermore, the article reflects on the historical role of literature in documenting urban transformations and social struggles, revealing how fictional accounts interact with official narratives of development, modernization, and exclusion. Literature serves as both an archive of memory and a site of speculation, allowing for critical engagements with past, present, and future urban realities. Thus, the study contributes to discussions on global citizenship, cultural representation, and the redefinition of cities in contemporary imagination.

Authors:
Manoela Massuchetto Jazar, Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Brazil

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Manoela Massuchetto Jazar is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Urban Management at PUCPR, Brazil. She is an architect and urban planner,and part of the URBTEC team, working on multiple urban-scale projects.

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