My Grandmother, Hannelore Kersten, a German immigrant, founded Livraria Canuto,
together with a colleague.

She was already an experienced bookseller, having worked with books since the 1950s at Livraria Kosmos, also owned by European immigrants. In this bookstore, which imported art and literature titles, she was able to increase her knowledge – being an avid reader – and meet people with common interests and backgrounds., Many lifelong friendships began there. She also worked at Livraria Triangulo which imported technical and scientific titles and where she met her future business partner, Knut Schendel.  

Hannelore’s son, my father Jonny Wolff, started his bookselling career at a very young age.
During the 60s and 70s, when it was extremely difficult for academics and researchers to access and acquire imported scientific and technical books, he traveled throughout the country, taking catalogs to all the institutions and academics he could get to, and his visits were eagerly awaited by his clients.

In 1964 he helped found our company, sharing the management with the founding partners until 1994, when Hanellore and Knut retired and sole management of Livraria Canuto passed to him. He ran the company until 2006, when he retired.

He was an active participant in developing the book market in Brazil and his contribution was decisive in the founding of the National Association of Booksellers (ANL).

It is now my turn to manage the family business.

Even though I am a major in Fine Arts with a special degree from the Parsons School of Visual Design in New York, on returning to Brazil after my studies I embraced the bookselling career with the passion and dedication I had observed in my grandmother and father during my whole life.

Nowadays, married and the mother of a 9-year-old who visits our office from time to time,
I observe his wondering eyes with pride and cannot help but ask myself if his future will
bring him here too..

Tatiana Wolff