The book “O Segredo da Lagoa Escura”, by Nuno Matos Valente, won the 2nd edition of the João de Deus National Literary Prize (PNLJD), an initiative promoted by the Municipality of Silves and Caixa de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo “Terras do Arade”, dedicated to children's and youth literature.
Nuno Matos Valente will receive a prize of ten thousand euros, which will be awarded at a ceremony scheduled for March 8, to be held as part of the celebrations of the poet and pedagogue's 194th birthday, in São Bartolomeu de Messines, João de Deus' birthplace.
From the prize winner's literary career, the Chamber of Silves highlights his involvement in the creation of school manuals, since 2009, the publication of the youth collection «A Ordem do Poço do Inferno» (from 2012 to 2016) and the children's book “Os Guardians of the Planet” (2020), both recommended by the National Reading Plan.
He also wrote the “Traditional Portuguese Bestiary – As Fantastic Creatures of the Popular Imaginary” (2016) and, in 2019, he was awarded a Literary Creation Grant by the General Directorate of Archives, Books and Libraries (DGLAB – Ministry of Culture), which resulted in the award-winning work.
This novel, published in May 2023 by Bertrand Editora, was «constructed from a legend that pointed to a probable connection between Lagoa Escura da Serra da Estrela and the Portuguese western coast», according to the Chamber of Silves.
The author, «based on events from the 19th century and real characters from the History of Portugal, recovers the fantastic imagery of the time and paints a portrait of an end of the century where “the possibility of discovery was unlimited and the frontier of the unknown was, so often , still at the door”».
Nuno Matos Valente's work was one of the 104 works nominated for this award and one of the five finalists, together with the books “Chegou o Dia”, by Maria João Viegas; “O Avô Minguante”, by Daniela Leitão; “Letter to the Leaders of the World”, by Maria Inês de Almeida; and “O Duelo” by Inês Viegas de Oliveira.
When choosing the work “O Segredo da Lagoa Escura”, by Nuno Matos Valente, as the big winner of this prize, the jury considered that «the author researched and collected data from numerous sources (registered in the bibliography consulted) in order to achieve textual coherence inducing doubts that would feed the reception work».
«Reading news and articles from the second half of the 19th century supports the imaginary creation of a scientific expedition to collect evidence of a possible connection between the lagoon and the sea on the western Portuguese coast; the potential for mystery, which challenges rational logic and the scientific spirit, leads to wise management of the reader's expectations. We can see the construction of an internal logic that feeds a lively, coherent and challenging text. The literary quality of the speech remains throughout the narrative, challenging us and fueling the question – “What if it were true?”. In short, the originality of the theme and the literary quality of the text justify the choice of this work, unanimously by the jury, for the award of the João de Deus National Literary Prize", added the jury.
The João de Deus National Literary Prize «intends to encourage and recognize writers who have developed their literary career within the scope of books for children and young people».
The award jury was made up of: Luísa Ducla Soares (one of the most relevant Portuguese writers in the area of Children's Literature); Ana Maria Magalhães (writer of children's books for over 30 years, including the Uma Aventura collection); and Rui Marques Veloso (former assistant professor at the Escola Superior de Educação de Coimbra, researcher in the field of Children's Literature and founder of the Association for the Promotion of Children's and Young People's Books).
The João de Deus National Literary Prize is a biannual initiative “which aims to honor the memory of this distinguished writer born in São Bartolomeu de Messines (whose work represents a heritage of the highest importance for regional and national culture), and, at the same time, promote and encourage literary production and creation in the Portuguese language, awarding, in each edition, and alternately, different literary categories».
In its 1st edition, held in 2021, dedicated to the Poetry genre, the work “Frentes de Fogo”, by A.M. Pires Cabral, won. The 3rd edition of the PNLJD will be launched in March 2025.
Synopsis of the work “the secret of the dark lagoon”
«In August 1881, an expedition inspired by the great incursions of Portuguese explorers Serpa Pinto, Roberto Ivens and Brito Capelo into the African heartland left Gare de Santa Apolónia in Lisbon.
Led by Capelo himself and the doctor Sousa Martins, twenty-three carriages loaded with men and scientific material set out to discover inhospitable peaks and perpetual snow, legends of tides and shipwrecks in places far from the sea, guided, without knowing it, by the history of most famous whale in the world.
In this story, based on real events and characters from the History of Portugal, the author recovers the fantastic imagery of the time and paints a portrait of an end of the century where the possibility of discovery was unlimited and the frontier of the unknown was, so often, still at hand. foot of the door”.
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