Hispania

Portuguese literary and cultural studies, often considered peripherical in relation to other European area studies and its much larger sister field of Brazilian literary and cultural studies, continues as a vibrant area within the humanities. Portuguese studies has remained aligned with other fields as far as new criticism in general, and in some areas, such as narratology and the study of literary characters, remains at the forefront among its European peers. The Center for Portuguese Literature, at the University of Coimbra, which among many endeavors, sponsors research in the field of digital humanities (e.g., the publication of the online Dictionary of Portuguese Literary Characters) is exemplary in this regard. Other centers in Portugal, such as those at the Universities of Lisbon, Oporto, Evora, and Minho, often more comparatist in their approach, also represent important research groups that further the study of Portuguese literature and culture. Emblematic of this dynamism are the events organized in the past year around the hundred years of the birth of the writer, dramatist, and critic Jorge de Sena and the poet Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen. These ephemerids were marked by academic meetings throughout Portugal. International events organized in France (University of Nantes), Poland (Jagiellonian University, Kraków), Macau (University of São José) also celebrated the 100 years of Sophia's birth, with a joint event "Sena and Sophia" at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, sponsored by the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura.

Beyond academic circles, Portuguese literature and culture maintains international visibility through its continued presence at important book fairs. In 2018, Portugal was the invited country of honor at Guadalajara's international book fair, Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara, Mexico, which typically welcomes over 800,000 visitors. For this event, Portugal sent close to forty novelists, poets, and critics representing a variety of literary genres and generations, including the renowned writers Lídia Jorge and António Lobo Antunes. The event was accompanied by cultural events throughout the city, a dance performance "Lídia" by Paulo Ribeiro and performed by the Companhia Nacional de Bailado, concerts by Ana Bacalhau, Camané, Capicua, and Dead Combo, a theatrical presentation "By Heart" by Tiago Rodrigues, and two art exhibits "Ana Hatherly and the Baroque. In a Garden Made of Ink" at the Museum of the Arts and "Almada Negreiros and Muralist Painting" in dialog with the Mexican muralist José Clemente Orozco at the Instituto Cabañas. Several years previously, Portugal had been the country of honor at the International Book Fair of Bogotá in 2013, and, in 1997, one year prior to José Saramago receiving the Nobel prize—the first and only to-date for a Portuguese-language writer—Portugal was the invited country at the Frankfurt book fair.

The work of José Saramago (1922–2010) continues to spearhead the presence of Portuguese literature internationally and maintains a unique place in the national literary landscape. In 2018, the University of Coimbra organized an international conference, "José Saramago: 20 Years with the Nobel Prize." The conference that brought together scholars working on all aspects of [End Page 454] Saramago's work (novels, plays, chronicle writing, etc.) and from research centers worldwide, with the majority from Portugal and Brazil. Looking ahead, 2022 will mark the centenary of the birth of the writer and academic meetings are currently being planned to reflect upon and debate the vast and multifaceted work of José Saramago.

The accessibility of reliable versions of Portuguese authors for a broad readership and scholarly texts for an academic audience are both essential to ensure the vibrance of Portuguese literary studies. In this area, close to forty works of José Saramago and the main novels by Eça de Queirós have been edited for a large reading public by Porto Editora. For a scholarly public, there are currently close to twenty of the projected twenty-four volumes of the critical editions of the works of Eça de Queirós published by the Portuguese national press, Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda, under the coordination of Carlos Reis of the University of Coimbra. Likewise, the critical editions of...