The two volumes of the collection made by the Association for Research and Study of Orality (APEOralidade) on the poetic work of Maria da Conceição Elói will be launched next Saturday, November 4th, at 18 pm, at the Municipal Library of Albufeira.
The books – « Love in quatrains of popular inspiration » and « The voices of the heart » – will be presented by Luísa Monteiro, also a writer, playwright, doctorate in Philosophy, theater teacher and researcher and senior communications technician at Albufeira City Council.
Maria da Conceição Elói, better known by the pseudonym Madressilva, was born in Paderne in 1898, having died in Faro in 1979.
She was a journalist, poet and writer who fought for education and Algarve culture. She was the founder of the newspaper «A Avezinha», in 1921, which began as a manuscript. The writers were all women and all Marias, using flower pseudonyms.
Later, Father de Paderne managed to have the periodical accepted by the Diocese as a parish newspaper, and it was then printed in Faro, at Tipografia União, which belonged to the Algarve church. It continued to be published for fifteen years.
In 1977, by Padernense journalist Arménio Aleluia Martins, «A Avezinha» was published again. Arménio even offered Maria da Conceição Elói the position of director, but she refused. Still, she remained a contributor to the newspaper until her death in 1979.
He also wrote in the newspapers «Folha do Domingo», «Correio do Sul», «Povo Algarvio», «Folha de Alte», in the magazines «Portugal Feminino» and «Almanaque de Santo António» (both from Lisbon) and in two others that were published in Brazil.
He competed in numerous Floral Games, held throughout the country, where he won many prizes.
In 1983, Arménio Aleluia Martins published the book «Ecos da Minha Voz», a collection of the poetry of Maria da Conceição Elói. This work was the basis of the two volumes now published by APEOralidade, which also added other poems collected by José Ruivinho Brazão, through a friend of Conceição Elói.
The two volumes include the quatrains, in the first, and the sonnets, in the second.
The books launched by APEOralidade have the support of the Albufeira City Council and the Paderne Parish Council.
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