What cannot be said: Experiences of exile

Marcia Tiburi and Jean Wyllys reflect, in an exchange of letters, on the threats that led them into exile and the strangeness of living in a foreign country.

The rise of a fascist government in Brazil after the 2018 elections and the staggered and obscurantist growth of hate networks, both online and in the streets, forced Marcia Tiburi and Jean Wyllys to leave the country, considering exile their last resort to preserve their lives. What Cannot Be Said: Experiences of Exile brings together exchanges of letters between the renowned philosopher and the former federal deputy and human rights activist.

Longtime friends, they share very similar anxieties in these letters. However, they differ in their particular way of dealing with setbacks, worries, and anxieties. Forcefully removed from social life and the political struggle—in which they are a reference—Marcia and Jean reflect on the persecutory rage that led them to exile and the strangeness of suddenly finding themselves living in another country.

The letters offer a keen understanding of the world, enabling us to understand our current political climate. They also confess intimate secrets and sinister fears that, combined in this book, reveal an emblematic account of the risks to life that surround our present times. Particularly the dangers surrounding minorities and those who disagree with the moral, political, and religious alignment of radical anti-democrats.