Published by the Instituto Moreira Salles, Dicionário Drummond expands and enriches the extensive body of critical writing dedicated to the Brazilian poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade. Structured in the format of a dictionary, the book brings together carefully selected entries that offer a broad and sensitive portrait of the author’s literary universe.

For the design, a single typeface was chosen for the entire book: Heldane, a contemporary serif family that draws on the Renaissance typographic tradition. This decision reinforces the book’s literary character, setting it apart from a purely utilitarian approach. Although the graphic layout evokes the rigid structure of a conventional dictionary–with side markings and a ribbon bookmark–the content unfolds as a poetic, subjective, and authorial exploration, breaking away from the genre’s usual functionality.

On the cover, featuring a half-cloth binding and gray papers, the design explores low-relief stamping in a composition that intertwines the words “Drummond” and “dictionary.” This detail underscores the poetic dimension that permeates the book, in deliberate contrast to that of a traditional dictionary.

Instituto Moreira Salles, 2020
Organization: Eucanaã Ferraz, Bruno Cosentino
Photos: Nino Andrés

14th Brazilian Design Biennial, ADG [selected, 2024]