Cultural Citizenship Award
Vasco Graça Moura

Established by Estoril Sol, the Vasco Graça Moura Cultural Citizenship Award, in its tenth edition, was awarded to Helder Macedo, “an illustrious poet, novelist, essayist, critic and teacher who has an exemplary career in the field of cultural citizenship,” said the jury. 

Chaired by Guilherme d`Oliveira Martins, the jury chose Helder Macedo on the basis that “living in Mozambique since his youth, he affirmed himself as a free conscience, considering freedom to encompass literary and artistic creation, but also the recognition of the right of peoples to self-determination and independence”. 

The jury's minutes also state that Helder Macedo “exiled to London from 1960 onwards, was a contributor to the BBC and lectured at King's College where he taught Portuguese Language and Culture, establishing himself as a prestigious researcher. After the Revolution of April 25, he held important positions in Portugal in the cultural field, having pursued, alongside literary and essayistic creation, a persistent action in culture and education in favor of Portuguese culture in the world.” 

As a tribute to the memory of Vasco Graça Moura, one of the most remarkable and versatile protagonists of Portuguese cultural life, Estoril Sol has set up a special Cultural Citizenship Award named after him.

The Vasco Graça Moura Award was intended to distinguish a writer, essayist, poet, journalist, translator or cultural producer who, throughout their career - or through an innovative and exceptionally important intervention - had contributed to dignifying and projecting the sector to which they belonged in the public arena.

In promoting this Award, Estoril Sol was convinced that its nature and scope would be a just recognition of Vasco Graça Moura's work and his fruitful and unusual creative versatility.