literary events enrich the calendar of the city throughout the year - from major celebrations such as the biennial festival, to the many book-launching events that are normally hosted in rio's most important bookstores and cultural centers.

on september 10th rio celebrates 'press day' in honor of johann gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, and on or around this important date the city hosts the rio de janeiro's international biennial of books, the bienal do livro.

Johannes Gutenberg, a brilliant 14th century German, is credited with the breakthrough technology used to print books in series with movable type.

up until then, books were reproduced by hand-writing each individual copy, until Gutenberg's printing machine inaugurated the technology with the creation of the Gutenberg Bibles - pressed on fine paper and velum and hand-painted, these bibles were the first major book printed in the west with this modern technology.