I'll see you in the eighth round

Winner of the 2020 Sesc Literature Award in the Romance category, I'll Meet You in the Eighth Round tells the life, dreams and failures of boxer Cristiano Machado Amoroso.

"I'll Meet You in the Eighth Round ," Caê Guimarães's debut novel, is fueled by punches, scars, falls, and redemptions. The protagonist, Cristiano Machado Amoroso, recounts his life as a boxer from the outskirts: a man who makes a living by punching and getting hit, he came close to the top at 25, but hit the canvas for the first time, a knockout he's never forgotten. At 40, isolated in his corner, with his guard down, he suffers from a constant buzzing sound that deafens him, the result of the blows. About to retire, before his final fight, he receives a proposal: to deliver the result without his opponent knowing. To receive the money, the loss must occur in the fourth round.

The narrative takes us into the daily life of the outskirts of the city, where Cristiano lives and trains, alongside the dreams and failures of the characters who have been, in many ways, beaten. In the weeks he prepares for the final battle, the protagonist comes to terms with his own life. He left behind a promising start to his literary career, and now he returns to, perhaps, settle some scores.

Fighting is risky. Writing is risky. In this "Encontro você no oito round ," winner of the 2020 Sesc Literature Award, the twinning of boxing and writing emerges with rare potency. Until the final round, we don't know if the boxer will hit the canvas again, as agreed. The strange mystery that accompanies those who take a lot of beatings but don't always give up.