Ruy Castro is one of the speakers invited to debate ‘the art of biography’ in an international conference dedicated to this form of writing. He is the author of more than 50 titles, among which are several biographies, such as O anjo pornográfico (1992) about writer Nelson Rodrigues, Estrela solitária (1995) about football player Garrincha, and Carmen – Uma biografia (2005) about singer Carmen Miranda; as well as historical reconstitution books, such as Chega de Saudade (1990), A noite do meu bem (2015) and Metrópole à beira-mar (2019).

Ruy Castro won the Jabuti Literature Prize seven times. In 2022 he was elected to the Brazilian Academy of Letters, from which he also received the Machado de Assis Prize, for his lifetime of work.