Cape Verde receives meeting of Portuguese-speaking writers

Com the general theme “The Portuguese language as an element of adaptation in a world of change”, the XIV Meeting of Portuguese-speaking Writers will, as in previous editions, bring together writers, researchers, editors, teachers, literary critics and readers of various Portuguese-speaking nations in the city of Praia, on the island of Santiago.

In statements to Lusa, the assistant secretary-general of the Union of Capital Cities of Portuguese Language (UCCLA), who organizes the event, together with the Municipality of Praia, stressed that this year the meeting will have a stronger presence in Brazil, Macau and Timor-Leste.

One of the objectives of the event is therefore to bring to this meeting of writers those who are further away, particularly due to their physical and geographical distance, which has resulted in a “less complete participation”, said Paula Leal da Silva.

“ We are very pleased with the presence of the minister [of the State Administration] of Timor-Leste,” he said, recalling that Brazilian poetry will also have a highlight in this edition of the meeting, counting on several experts from Brazil who will be on the Beach talking about this subject.

But not only, because the meeting will have a declaimer of Brazilian poetry, who will walk among people with a theatricalized verbal expression.

The strengthening of the presence of Timor-Leste and Brazil at the meeting will be gathered with that of Macau, which currently holds the chairmanship of the Executive Board of UCLA.

For Paula Leal da Silva, in this way one of the goals of the meeting will be fulfilled, which is “to give some relevance to some of the countries participating in this meeting”.

The promoters of the meeting want it to be closer to the population this year.

“ The idea is that people who read can accompany it, can integrate it, but also people who do not read, because we just want to bring this meeting to the people ", said.

To stimulate the interest of the general population, the event will have “relevant elements”, such as a gastronomy fair, a book fair and, in parallel, symbolic acts, such as planting a tree.

On the general theme of the meeting – The Portuguese language as an element of adaptation in a world of change - the ambassador noted that “the Portuguese language, in addition to the vitality that is known within the Portuguese-speaking world itself, knows a very relevant vitality abroad”, giving the example of being taught in more than five universities in China.

“ This is an example, many others will be. Because precisely this vitality as a second language, as a language learned by those who have a first mother tongue that is not Portuguese, it also allows us to understand how our language, deep down, exists outside the Lusophone world, progresses and allows an interaction also from the perspective of those who have another mother tongue ", said.

Paula Leal da Silva then listed the sub-themes in which the general is divided, such as Portuguese as a language of science, technology and innovation, because “the value of language is not only the value of culture, literature and knowledge and knowledge”.

“It’s also an economic value, it’s a value that has to be reflected and should be reflected in economic, transactional, commercial relations, but also in innovation, in the world of constant innovation in which we are,” he said.

This edition of the meeting will also serve to discuss the added value that the UCCLA Literary Revelation Award – Lisbon City Hall can bring to young writers.

The award aims to stimulate the production of literary works, in the fields of fiction prose (romance, novel, short story and chronicle) and poetry, in Portuguese language, by writers who have never published an individual literary work.

The Assistant Secretary-General of UCLA highlights, among the winners, the youth and the different geographies where they live, which are reflected in the literary burden of these authors.

“ But also a political burden, a personal burden, a load of concrete opinions about the world, new ideas that the other participants in these meetings acquire, on which they reflect, and that precisely allow us to have a relevant role in such a changing world ", concluded.

Between 08 and 10, it is confirmed the presence of writers from Angola (Alberto Oliveira Pinto), Brazil (Aline Cardoso, José Inácio Vieira de Melo and José Manuel Diogo), Cape Verde (Adelcides Rodrigues, Augusta Évora, Carla Indira Semedo, César Monteiro, Dai Varela, Daniel Medina, Eutropio Lima da Cruz, Fatima Fernandes, Gil Moreira, Mariana Faria, Marilene Pereira and Rui Pereira), Croatia (Meri Grubic), Galicia (Maria Rosario Fernandez Bello), Guinea-Bissau (Amadu Dafé), Macau/China (Hugo Pinto), Mozambique (António Costa Neto), Portugal (Joana Matos Frias), São Tomé and Príncipe (Olinda Beja) and Timor-Leste (Benjaim Côrte-Real).