ESTORIL SOL AWARDS DELIVERY

In a solemn ceremony, on October 23rd, at the Estoril Casino Auditorium, the Fernando Namora and Agustina Bessa-Luis Literary Awards, established by Estoril Sol, and for 2024, were presented by Guilherme d’Oliveira Martins, as well as the Vasco Graça Moura Award – Cultural Citizenship.

The 27th edition of the Fernando Namora Literary Prize, promoted by Estoril Sol, with a pecuniary value of 15 thousand euros, distinguished Hugo Gonçalves for the novel “Revolution”.

The Jury, chaired by Guilherme d`Oliveira Martins, highlighted that “Revolucion” “is a book that stands out in terms of literature, thanks to the way in which it connects loose ends of recent Portuguese history, always maintaining, however, the narrative design of contradictory characters, heroic or tragic, strong or weak, and whose profiles question and comment on the novel's current readers and their respective ideological positions”.

In turn, in relation to the 17th edition of the Agustina Bessa-Luís Revelation Literary Prize, with a value of 10 thousand euros, the Jury distinguished Dulce Gonçalves with the original work “O Processo”, which ensures its publication through Editorial Gradiva.

The Jury wrote in the minutes that this novel: "is centered on the historical memory of the last years of resistance to the Portuguese dictatorship and, at the same time, on the projection of the cultural traits that ensured some of its emblematic references, namely, those related to the phenomenon of Portuguese emigration to France, especially during the sixties. Within this framework, the description of particularly relevant moments (cultural and political) of the Portuguese community will evolve, such as, for example, the phenomenon of May 68 in France, with its poetic rebellions and creative insubordination, and that of Capela do Rato in Portugal in December 1972”.

In the 10th edition of the Vasco Graça Moura Prize – Cultural Citizenship, this was awarded to Helder Macedo. “An illustrious poet, novelist, essayist, critic, and professor who has an exemplary career in the field of cultural citizenship”, said the Jury. Instituted by Estoril Sol, the Prize, with an annual frequency and worth 20 thousand euros, was created in honor of the memory of Vasco Graça Moura.

The jury highlights that Helder Macedo "exiled in London, from 1960 onwards, was a collaborator at the BBC and taught at King's College where he taught Portuguese Language and Culture, establishing himself as a prestigious researcher. After the Revolution of 25 April, he carried out important roles in the cultural area in Portugal, having continued, alongside literary and essay creation, a persistent action in culture and education in favor of Portuguese culture in the world.”

The jury, chaired by Guilherme d`Oliveira Martins, representing the CNC – Centro Nacional de Cultura, also included José Manuel Mendes, from the Portuguese Writers Association, Manuel Frias Martins, from the Portuguese Literary Critics Association, Maria Carlos Gil Loureiro, from the General Directorate of Books, Archives and Libraries, Ana Paula Laborinho, Liberto Cruz and José Carlos de Vasconcelos, individually invited and, also, Dinis de Abreu, representing Estoril Sol.