READINGS OF POEMS BY FLORBELA ESPANCA | OPEN MIC

August 1 | 21:30

Location: Lagos Book Fair – Armazém Regimental Org.: CM Lagos and Shantarin Duration: 30 min Age rating: M16 Free entry

Florbela Espanca (1894–1930) is one of the undeniable names in Portuguese literature. Her work passionately addresses themes of longing, love, and sexual liberation in the context of the crazy years that followed World War I. Following her premature death in 1930, Florbela quickly became the subject of legend, thanks to the irresistible combination of a tumultuous life journey and a series of unmistakable sonnets that express both feelings of failure and ardent proclamations of her desire to live.

Florbela left us nearly 100 years ago, but her poetry remains alive in bookstores, libraries, universities, music, and cinema, and especially among the many readers who love her verses. In the multilingual poetry sessions of Florbela Espanca, the open mic invites us to read in Portuguese, English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Ukrainian, sharing with everyone the polyphony of the verses of the writer who boldly, and without asking for permission, opened the doors to the great poetry of Portuguese women in the 20th century.