Raji, My Family: A story of immigration, resilience, courage, and love
The book "Raji, My Family: A story of immigration, resilience, courage, and love", by Alan Leites, stands out not only for its intimate and moving narrative, but also for its ability to address universal themes from a deeply personal perspective.
These include immigration, animal adoption, the multispecies family, speciesism, resilience, life in Brazil, spirituality and the defence of animal rights. In addition, the author explores aspects of cultural identity, veganism, LGBTIQ+ diversity, people over the age of 40, and economic and social peripheries. Above all, he reflects on the difficulties involved in emigrating, weaving these experiences into everyday life and into the lessons offered by his four-legged, furry son.
“The feeling was one of bittersweet familiarity and difficulty, especially with simple things such as buying a metro ticket from a self-service machine using a foreign debit card. In just a few days, the city was already showing its voracity at the same speed as the moving carriages that carry the working class during their daily commute.”
Raji, My Family has been presented at:
- Barcelona (23 April 2025): Book and Rose Fair
- Madrid (25 September 2025): José Hierro Public Library, Usera
- Murcia (3 October 2025): Book Fair (La feria bonica)
- Madrid (28 November 2025): Casa do Brasil
- Madrid (14 December 2025): Madrid Vegan Market
About the book:
Title: “Raji – My Family: A Story of Immigration, Resistance, Courage and Love”
Author: Alan Leites
Publication date: December 2024 / January 2025
Country of publication: Spain
Language: Spanish
ISBN: 978-84-1082-705-9
Publisher: Círculo Rojo
Genre: Biographical narrative
Details: Physical book printed on ecological paper / paperback / 265 pages / 15 cm x 21 cm
Reader Reviews
“Today I’d like to introduce you to the book of a wonderful person, who has managed to bring tears to the eyes through tenderness and love for animals, and placing yourself in his position is truly beautiful.”
“This book is a hug: it is intimate and comforting, it breaks down the reader–writer barrier and creates a sense of warmth that is hard to describe. It’s not easy to convey emotions so precisely through words, but Alan Leites has this gift. I loved it :)))”
“This is a love story. He is both the context and the reason. A kind of love we know exists because stories bear witness to it.”
“This book is a true story that invites us to reflect, from the deepest place within, on the drive to better ourselves every day. It is incredible how Alan’s skin becomes our own: lines filled with lessons from the heart and valuable cultural details.”
“This narrative is a beautiful and complex autobiographical story about the relationship between two friends — more like father and son — of different species.”
“Raji, My Family by Alan Leites is a work that touches the heart and invites us to reflect on the connection between all living beings. It is a beautiful reminder that, within the diversity of our stories, there is always room for empathy and transformation.”
Physical points of sale:
C/ de Sta. Isabel, 27, Lavapiés, 28012 Madrid, Spain
C/ de la Pizarra, 5, Arganzuela, 28005 Madrid, Spain
Foco na Poesia 4
The Foco na Poesia 4 (Focus on Poetry) project Foco na Poesia 4 reaches its fourth edition, consolidating itself as a meeting place between word and image. Foco na Poesia 4 brings together a collective exhibition and a collective book featuring poems and photographs by artists from Brazil and abroad, published by Dowslley Editorial.
The artists taking part in this edition are Adriana Oliveira, Alan Leites (Spain), Antonio Barros, Débora dos Santos Coutinho, Lucília Dowslley, Márcia Schweizer, Márcio Catunda (Switzerland), Marco Latgé (in memoriam), Regina Vianna, Rodrigo Campanário, Rosana de Oliveira Santos, Silvio Maciel, Sylvio Corrêa, Tchello d’Barros and Vitor Hugo Macedo. The project is curated by poet, journalist and actress Lucília Dowslley.
Among the highlights is the participation of poet Alan Leites, who presents the poem and original photograph entitled (Me), in which he transforms his experience of forced migration into poetry. This is his first work published in Portuguese and is marked by a sensitive narrative centred on love, resilience, courage and personal growth.
Foco na Poesia 4 Foco na Poesia 4 was presented at:
- Niterói (13 September 2025): photographic and poetic exhibition at the Sueli Pontes Cultural Centre
- Rio de Janeiro (29 November 2025): book launch at Leitura Bookstore
About the book:
Title: Foco na Poesia 4
Author: Poetic and photographic anthology (including the poem and photograph (Eu) by Alan Leites) (Me) de Alan Leites)
Publication date: 2025
Country of publication: Brazil
Language: Portuguese
ISBN: 978-65-986858-5-0
Publisher: Dowslley Editorial
Genre: Poetry and photography
Details: Physical book printed on coated paper / hardback / XX pages / 15 cm x 15 cm
Physical points of sale:
Address: Rua do Ouvidor, 98 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ – Brazil. Postcode: 20040-030
I invite you to discover Exclamation Mark!, my space on YouTube where I share my poetry straight from the heart. Each poem is recited in Portuguese and includes Spanish subtitles, allowing you to enjoy the melody of the language while also connecting with the deeper meaning of each verse. In addition, the videos are also created by me, carefully conceived to accompany and enhance every word.
If you enjoy poetry and small moments of beauty, I look forward to welcoming you to my channel:
In addition to YouTube, you can now also listen to my poetry on Spotify (in Portuguese)!
Simply click on the icon below.
This is a space for authorial photography and poetry, where image and word enter into dialogue from an intimate and sensory perspective. My work is built upon a personal, unhurried gaze, attentive to silence, memory and emotion.
The photographs are accompanied by poems written in Portuguese, Spanish and English, expanding the visual reading and offering a contemplative experience beyond immediacy.
This project unfolds as an ongoing investigation into the relationship between image, language and perception, moving away from algorithm-driven formulas and prioritising human and poetic connection.
The portfolio can be explored across two platforms:
Vero: an algorithm-free environment designed for a more reflective and poetic experience.
Instagram: a more familiar and dynamic space for dissemination.
Recent Blog Posts
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Dear reader friends,As we enter the last month of summer in Spain (and the last month of winter in Brazil), between heat and cold, I realise that this has been for me a season of luminous closures, which in turn have paved the way for new adventures and creations....
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Queridxs amigxs leitorxs,Ao chegar ao último mês do verão na Espanha (e ao último do inverno no Brasil), entre calor e frio, percebo que este foi para mim um período de encerramentos luminosos que, por sua vez, abriram espaço para novas aventuras e criações. Hoje, me...
“Pas de deux de la Bailarina chorosa” de Alan Leites 🇪🇸
Queridxs amigxs lectorxs,Al llegar al último mes del verano en España (y al último del invierno en Brasil), entre calores y fríos, me doy cuenta de que esta ha sido para mí una estación de cierres luminosos que, a su vez, han sembrado el terreno para nuevas aventuras...
