Associação dos Escritores Cabo-Verdianos
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| Associação dos Escritores Cabo-Verdianos | |
|---|---|
| Name | Associação dos Escritores Cabo-Verdianos |
| Native name | Associação dos Escritores Cabo-Verdianos |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Location | Praia, Santiago, Cape Verde |
| Language | Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole |
| Type | Literary association |
Associação dos Escritores Cabo-Verdianos is a Cape Verdean writers' association founded to promote literature and protect authors' rights in Cape Verde. It fosters connections among poets, novelists, dramatists and essayists across Praia, Mindelo, São Vicente and the Diaspora. The association engages with cultural institutions such as the Ministry of Culture, international bodies like UNESCO, and regional networks including the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.
History
The association traces origins to literary salons and newspaper circles in Praia and Mindelo during the late 20th century, influenced by figures from the independence era such as Amílcar Cabral, Baltasar Lopes da Silva, Orlanda Amarílis and Jorge Barbosa. Early meetings involved contributors to journals like Claridade, Sotavento and Raiz e Horizontes, and connected with movements in Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau. During the 1980s the group formalized amid debates about cultural policy involving the African Writers Series and collaborations with institutions such as Instituto Camões and the Goethe-Institut. Its history intersects with festivals like the Festival Internacional de Literatura de Mindelo and initiatives tied to anniversary commemorations of Cape Verdean independence.
Organization and Membership
The association is governed by an elected board modeled on structures used by Portuguese Writers' Union, with officers drawn from literary circles in Praia, Mindelo, Sal and Fogo. Membership includes poets, novelists, short-story writers, playwrights and scholars affiliated with universities such as the University of Cape Verde and research centers like the INIDA — as well as émigré authors living in Lisbon, Paris, New York City, Boston, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam, Brussels and London. The association maintains statutes referencing copyright frameworks like the Berne Convention and collaborates with unions such as the Writers' Union of Portugal.
Activities and Programs
Programming includes public readings, workshops, residencies and translations coordinated with partners such as Biblioteca Nacional de Cabo Verde, Centro Cultural Português, Casa Fernando Pessoa, Instituto Camões, Alliance Française and the British Council. The group organizes panels with international guests from Mozambique, Angola, Brazil and Portugal and participates in book fairs like the Lisbon Book Fair, Frankfurt Book Fair, Festa do Livro de Mindelo and regional events in Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe. Educational outreach targets schools in Santiago, São Vicente, Boa Vista and Maio, while collaboration projects connect to literary festivals honoring figures such as Manuel Lopes, Viriato Tavares and Alberto Vieira.
Publications and Awards
The association publishes anthologies, journals and proceedings that feature work by members alongside translations into Portuguese and French, appearing in serials comparable to Claridade and new platforms linked to publishers like Editorial Caminho, Campo das Letras and small presses in Mindelo and Praia. It administers prizes modeled on national and Lusophone awards such as the Prémio Camões, Prémio da União Internacional de Editores and local distinctions for poetry, fiction and drama. Occasional collaborations produce bilingual editions with institutions like UNESCO and university presses at the University of Lisbon and University of Coimbra.
Cultural Impact and Reception
The association has influenced Cape Verdean cultural life by amplifying voices across archipelago communities and the diaspora, shaping canons alongside movements tied to Claridade and postcolonial debates involving scholars like Iain Chambers and Homi K. Bhabha. Reviews and criticism appear in periodicals and academic journals in Portugal, Brazil and France, and the association's programs have been cited in cultural policy discussions with bodies such as the European Union cultural initiatives and Lusophone networks. Critics have assessed its role in preserving Cape Verdean Creole literature and promoting translation, while advocates link its activities to tourism and cultural diplomacy initiatives in Praia and São Vicente.
Notable Members
Notable associated writers include poets and novelists connected with Cape Verdean letters and Lusophone culture: Baltasar Lopes da Silva, Jorge Barbosa, Manuel Lopes, Orlanda Amarílis, Arménio Vieira, Viriato Tavares, Ovídio Martins, Eugénio Tavares, Sérgio Frusoni, José Luís Mendonça, Teixeira de Sousa , Pedro Cardoso, Djamila Ribeiro, António Nóbrega, Mário Lemos, Corsino Fortes, Geraldo Olímpio, Maya Angelou, Chico Buarque, Jorge Amado, José Saramago, Fernando Pessoa, Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, José Craveirinha, Noémia de Sousa, Mário de Andrade, Clarice Lispector, Agostinho Neto, Pepetela, Mia Couto, Paulina Chiziane, José Eduardo Agualusa, Ondjaki, Luandino Vieira, António Jacinto, Helena Almeida, Isabel Allende, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Gonçalo M. Tavares, Alice Vieira, António Lobo Antunes, Ruy Duarte de Carvalho, Lídia Jorge, Germano Almeida, Dulce Maria Cardoso, Ana Cristina Cesar, Humberto Delgado].
See also
Literature of Cape Verde, Claridade, Cape Verdean Creole, University of Cape Verde, Portuguese literature, Lusophone literature, Prémio Camões, Baltasar Lopes da Silva, Manuel Lopes, Jorge Barbosa, Mindelo.