Claus and Luca Cataldi: The Youngest Immortals in Brazil
In an age dominated by digital distractions and fragmented attention, two young Brazilians have proven that the power of the written word still has the ability to change destinies, inspire generations, and write memorable pages in the history of national culture. Claus and Luca Cataldi, prodigious brothers, are now the youngest immortals in Brazil, recognized by the International Academy of Brazilian Literature (AILB), based in the United States, a rare, remarkable, and truly inspiring achievement.
But their brilliance extends far beyond the symbolism of the title. They are, in fact, literary phenomena, with books adopted in schools across several Brazilian states, including the municipalities of Morrinhos, Ibiapina, Boa Viagem, and Acopiara, as well as the Office of the Secretary of Education of the Federal District Government itself. Their works have been praised not only for their quality, but also for their ability to inspire young readers and educators, serving as a beacon in times when digital culture often drowns out the transformative power of reading.
When invited to speak in schools, Claus and Luca do not tell easy stories. They speak of effort, focus, and sacrifice. They chose literature over the hypnotic lure of social media and the long hours in front of video games. Not that they’ve abandoned leisure — they are excellent PlayStation players — but they learned early on that time is a noble and rare resource, and they knew how to use it.
Famous Mom
Sons of renowned journalist Claudia Cataldi, who breastfed them in TV studios and newsroom corridors throughout her media career, they were raised in an environment where language was art, profession, and a bridge to the world. And perhaps that’s why they wrote their first books as children. Luca, at the age of nine, authored the award-winning My Mythological Diary, published by the Belgian-Brazilian publisher Colli Books and launched as a highlight of the Poços de Caldas International Literary Festival. Claus, at eleven, wrote the insightful and humorous How to Survive Until the Age of 13, which was launched at the International Book Biennial and earned him a literary award in New York and his own seat of honour as an immortal member of the AILB.
Claus and Luca Cataldi are not only young literary immortals, they are well-rounded young individuals. Currently in their first year of sixth form at the German School Cruzeiro, they continue to accumulate accomplishments that place them on a level of excellence difficult to describe without resorting to the word “prodigy”. Fluent in Portuguese, English, German, and Spanish, the brothers display an extraordinary ability to navigate multiple fields of knowledge, without ever losing sight of human and social development.
International Social Projects
As form representatives, purple-belt judokas, dedicated tennis players, and active participants in scientific and linguistic Olympiads, Claus and Luca continue to broaden their horizons far beyond the classroom walls. They are also engaged in international social action projects, collaborating on educational programmes in Mozambique through cultural exchange and youth solidarity initiatives that reaffirm their commitment to helping transform the world around them.
If literature was the gateway to their immortality in the International Academy of Brazilian Literature, their training at the School of Advanced War Studies solidified the seriousness with which they approach topics such as sovereignty, citizenship, and development. They were the first two young people ever to graduate from that institution, which traditionally educates high-ranking civilian and military leaders, demonstrating once again that age does not determine maturity, and youth is far from being synonymous with superficiality.
At a time when young people are often underestimated, Claus and Luca stand as living proof that talent, when paired with discipline, can create real and lasting impact. Their books are not just bedtime reads, they are guiding lights for those who seek to reinvent themselves, for those who dream of a future with more substance and less distraction. Immortal not out of vanity, but through merit. Brilliant not by chance, but by deliberate construction. And, above all, young people who dared to believe that books could still be wings. And indeed, they were.
Claus and Luca Cataldi: The Youngest Immortals in Brazil