The first Paraty International Literary Festival, held in 2003, positioned Brazil in the circuit of international literature festivals. The first edition included the presence of world famous authors such as Don DeLillo, Eric Hobsbawm, Julian Barnes and Hanif Kureishi. With the following editions, the FLIP became one of the main literary festivals of the world. It achieved  such recognition not only because of the quality of its guest speakers but also for the enthusiasm and hospitality of the beautiful colonial city of Paraty, which boast a preserved historic centre, lush tropical landscapes and beaches and a modern tourist infrastructure.

The FLIP is five memorable days in which there are over 200 cultural events though for the most diverse and demanding audiences: workshops, debates, expositions, shows, school presentations, film exhibits and much more.

All these events are distributed in four main areas: FLIP - Main Programme, FLIP - House of Culture, FlipZona and Flipinha (Little Flip). 

FLIP - Main Programme offers an opening conference and 20 round tables in which the guests discuss the most varied subjects in a relaxed and comfortable environment. The guests profile includes acclaimed writers, filmmakers and directors, comic book drawers and writers, journalists, artists, historians and other personalities of the world culture. The main programme of the FLIP happens in the "Authors Tent". This space has an auditorium which seats up to 850 people. If you do not speak the language of the author or get there to late, you do not need to worry: all events have translators and a broadcasted live from the "Screen Tent", that has a 1.400 people capacity, or by the internet. You can go for a coffee to one of the lovely cafés in the historic centre and follow the discussions from your laptop; most bars, restós, hotels, hostels and pousadas offer free WiFi.

There is also an exclusive literary programme for teenagers: the FlipZone. This part of the FLIP aims to generate interest of youngsters for literature. Alongside this initiative is the Flipinha (Little FLIP), a special programme for children. During the FLIP, the "Little FLIP tent" is the meeting point for all the activities carried out during the year on the FLIP educational plan. This involves a educational participative process of reading policies and Paraty?s material and immaterial heritage valorisation.