An international colloquium dedicated to António Ramos Rosa, the reformulation of the current “António Ramos Rosa National Poetry Prize”, a program aimed at young people and a tribute with the placement of a sculpture in the Municipal Library are some of the initiatives planned in the centenary program of the poet from Faro, who was presented on Tuesday, the 23rd.
One of the highlights of the program for the celebrations of the centenary of the birth of António Ramos, which will take place in 2024, but will also have activities in 2025, will be the international colloquium “António Ramos Rosa: Poesia Liberdade Livre”, which will take place on the 17th of October, date of the poet's 100th birthday.
This conference «intends to open the work of António Ramos Rosa to other worlds of culture than just the academic world. This event will bring Faro diverse and recognized national and international poets and academics", according to the Chamber of Faro.
«Another major highlight is the transformation of the António Ramos Rosa National Poetry Prize. As part of the celebrations, the Municipality of Faro establishes a partnership with the Portuguese Writers Association (APE) to create the new António Ramos Rosa National Poetry Grand Prize APE – CM Faro, which will now be co-produced between these two entities, changing from a biennial to an annual format and increasing the value of the prize from the current 5.000 euros to 12.500 euros", adds the municipality.
Maintaining its commitment to poetry published in the Portuguese language, the Prize is open to all authors who publish in Portuguese.
The traveling exhibition “António Ramos Rosa: A Real Presence” will also be promoted, which will feature an exhibition on the author's editions, books, poems and presence. This exhibition, which will take place between September 2024 and June 2025, will be open to the public at the Municipal Library and will circulate through schools in the municipality of Faro.
At the same time, a program aimed at schools will be promoted between September and December 2024, «which will include poetry sessions, music and conversations/debates around the work of António Ramos Rosa, which will be created for young people and held in secondary schools in the municipality» .
On the other hand, the Municipality commissioned the artist Miguel Martins to create a sculptural piece in homage to Ramos Rosa, which should be installed, by the end of the year, in the Municipal Library of which he is patron.
Also by the end of 2024, a publication should be published in which a group of authors chosen by António Carlos Cortez, essayist and professor who is the curator of the celebrations, «will share their readings on the life and work of António Ramos Rosa, through of his poems”.
As part of the presentation session for the celebrations, António Carlos Cortez thanked the invitation but also the sensitivity and care that the City Council of Faro has devoted himself to Culture and the figure of António Ramos Rosa.
«It was an invitation that surprised me but that I think makes some sense, having been a personal friend of António Ramos Rosa and having had the opportunity, in 2005, to organize and write the preface to a book by António Ramos Rosa, 'Os Animais do Sol e da Sombra followed by O Corpo Inicial', from Edições Quasi", recalled António Carlos Cortez, adding that he had a sentimental connection to Faro and to the Algarve, through friendships with another poet from Faro, Gastão Cruz, and with Nuno Júdice, an Algarve poet who died in March this year.
«Curating a program of this kind means not only carefully considering the echo of António Ramos Rosa's work, but also doing so in a context that is adverse, whether in teaching or in the cultural atmosphere, where today there is resistance to either humanities, or the teaching of poetry. Therefore, this gesture from the City Council of Faro fills me with joy and responsibility and this happy occasion can have an important effect on the city of Faro and not only that: taking António Ramos Rosa to schools, since, in truth, Ramos Rosa and Portuguese poets are very little known by younger generations», said the curator of the celebrations.
José Manuel Mendes, president of APE, welcomed the creation of the Grand National Poetry Prize António Ramos Rosa APE – CM Faro, «which will honor not only the poets who receive it, but also those who promote it».
Invoking António Ramos Rosa, but also Gastão Cruz and Nuno Júdice as great names in poetry and national literature, José Manuel Mendes also highlighted the fact that this literary prize is an award open to Lusophony and to all literary creation made in Portuguese, which it can even come from outside the Portuguese-speaking space.
«The centenary of António Ramos Rosa, as he is from Faro and one of the greatest figures in national and international poetry, is an event that is unique and that we could not fail to highlight, including the 50 years of freedom and the 25th of April, in that he also had an important role, on a literary level”, concluded the President of the Municipal Council of Faro, Rogério Cod.
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