Portuguese authors may navigate through different genres: from poetry to romance and even chronicles or theatre writing. Each of them with a particular style, making it possible to recognise their texts from just a few words. Portuguese literature has been translated into many other languages, and even gained Nobel Prizes, but which authors should be added to a “to be read” list?


Fernando Pessoa

Born in 1888, Fernando Pessoa is one of the most acclaimed writers and Portugal, known for writing under many different names and personalities.

Studies assume that the author of “A Mensagem” has signed its various texts by 70 heteronyms. Each heteronym had its biography and writing style, varying between men and women. The most famous heteronyms are Álvaro de Campos, Alberto Caeiro, Ricardo Reis and Bernardo Soares, the writer of ‘The Book of Disquiet’, already translated into English. Going from poetry to romance, Fernando Pessoa is definitely a must-read, especially for those interested in Portuguese literature.


Eça de Queiroz

The author was born in 1845 and wrote some of the most polemic works in Portugal. Focusing on a very realistic style, reading Eça de Queiroz feels like watching a movie through words, however, if people want (well-written) gossip and drama the author’s works are highly suggested. Particularly known by its book “Os Maias” due to the description of incest moments or even “O Crime do Padre Amaro” for relating the Catholic Church with sexual activities, well-written gossip and drama may be expected from Eça de Queiroz books. Some of his work has been adapted into films and TV series.


José Saramago

The Portuguese Nobel Literature Prize winner in 1998, was born in 1922 and died in 2010, having published several controversial books due to its criticism of various institutions. As an atheist, José Saramago criticised the Catholic Church, in books such as “The Gospel According to Jesus Christ”. This book led the author to live in Lisbon after the work was removed from the Aristeion’s Prizer shortlist after a request from the former Portuguese prime minister Aníbal Cavaco Silva, who mentioned the book was offensive to the Catholic Church. His works are already translated into various languages, but his reading style cannot be compared to the authors mentioned before.


Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen

One of the most important writers in Portugal born in 1919, is now buried in the National Pantheon. Known for her poems and child stories, her works were mostly inspired by Nature, having elements that could connect the books to the sea, for example. She was the first woman to receive a Camões Prize in 1999, an award given by Portugal and Brazil to authors who write in Portuguese. The author also received, a year before she passed away, the Queen Sophia Award, in Spain, in 2003.


Find out more

Many more authors can be explored, such as Luís de Camões or even Lídia Jorge and Miguel Torga are perfect examples of great authors who write great books that are being read outside the Portuguese borders. Reading books from this author means that people will be learning more about the country’s history while having fun and exploring writing styles, that probably were not seen before.

Author

Deeply in love with music and with a guilty pleasure in criminal cases, Bruno G. Santos decided to study Journalism and Communication, hoping to combine both passions into writing. The journalist is also a passionate traveller who likes to write about other cultures and discover the various hidden gems from Portugal and the world. Press card: 8463. 

Bruno G. Santos