“Adélia Prado's work is a window into everyone's heart," says Lula when presenting Camões Prize to the Minas Gerais writer

On Tuesday, February 18, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took part in a ceremony to present the Camões Prize for Literature to writer Adélia Prado, who was represented by her son Eugênio Prado. The President of the Portuguese Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also attended the ceremony at the Itamaraty Palace in Brasília.

Adélia Prado's work is a window into the hearts of all Brazilians and lovers of Portuguese, a language with words as beautiful and unique, as special and sweet as saudade [missing someone or something in a bittersweet, nostalgic way], coragem [courage] and resistência [resistance] — words that describe Adélia's power and the strength of Brazil.”

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Republic of Brazil

“Adélia Prado's work is a window into the hearts of all Brazilians and lovers of Portuguese, a language with words as beautiful and unique, as special and sweet as saudade [missing someone or something in a bittersweet, nostalgic way], coragem [courage] and resistência [resistance] — words that describe Adélia's power and the strength of Brazil,” highlighted Lula.

» Read President Lula’s full speech here

In his speech, the Brazilian leader pointed to the work of the writer from Minas Gerais as a source of inspiration. “Adélia inspires us to do politics as she does poetry. People are at the heart of her writing, just as they should be at the center of any government action. Her poems celebrate the presence and care with which a mother prepares coffee for the father who is working late, or with which a husband cleans a fish alongside his wife. It is also with presence and care that one governs,” he said, observing that everyday life is the raw material of her literature.

“In a world where the female voice is still often muffled or silenced, Adélia pioneered a traditionally male domain and paved the way for other women who, like her, were ‘unfolding’,” Lula pointed out. “I hope that Lusophone literature continues to be enriched by increasingly diverse and plural perspectives,” added the Brazilian president.

Marcelo Rebelo highlighted that the award reflects the relevance of Lusophone culture. “This award shows the importance of Portuguese as a universal language. As universal people, we are Brazilians and Portuguese. We have always been like this — in the past, in the present, in the future. To speak of Adélia Prado is to speak of what is a unique portrait of the symbiosis of this world power called Brazil,” he declared.

The Portuguese president also pointed out that the author emphasizes the role of women in society. “What is extraordinary about Adélia is the fact that Brazil has changed a lot, in social and religious terms, but Adélia’s poetry has always remained relevant. More than just relevant, it is pioneering,” said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

BILATERAL MEETING — Earlier on Tuesday, the Portuguese President — who was on a state visit — was received by Lula at the top of the external ramp of the Planalto Palace. The leaders watched as the national anthems were played and the flags raised. Next, after an official photo, they headed to a bilateral meeting.

FOOD FOR THE SOUL — Representing Adélia Prado at the Camões Prize reception, Eugênio Prado, the author’s eldest son, read the acknowledgment she sent. “I am very honored to be presented with this Camões Prize diploma. It is a day of great joy for me and, believe me, I would like to be present to celebrate with you,” said the writer, who was unable to attend the ceremony due to health issues.

What is extraordinary about Adélia is the fact that Brazil has changed a lot, in social and religious terms, but Adélia's poetry has always remained relevant. More than relevant, it is pioneering”

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of Portugal

CELEBRATION — In an interview earlier on, before the award ceremony, Eugênio emphasized that the prize is a celebration of poetry from Minas Gerais and Brazil. "My mother always says that poetry is as important as our daily bread because it feeds our soul. I hope that this can happen more and more often in terms of promoting poetry, art in general, for the good of this country so that people can receive an increasingly humanist education, focused on cultural and artistic sensitivity," he said. 

BORDERS —Eugênio Prado highlighted the importance of literary production in Minas Gerais and in Brazil. “Art, in general, especially poetry, is something that has no borders, no specific territory to refer to. In a way, it is by chance that Adélia was born in Minas Gerais and continued to live in Divinópolis, even after her name became famous through all her work,” he highlighted. “There is a sign of her impact on readers from all walks of life, from all social classes — a great penetration of her work in all strata,” added the author's son, remembering that Adélia Prado’s works have been used in the National High School Exam (Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio/ENEM) and entrance exams to federal universities.

INCENTIVE TO LITERATURE — To Eugênio Prado, consuming art and literature should be naturalized in the education of children and adolescents. "This has to be offered by schools, by education policy — and I mean art in general — especially in the case of literature, as a way of enabling the development of critical thinking and sensitivity, which can both be found in her work", stated the son of the award-winning author.

My mother always says that poetry is as important as our daily bread because it feeds our soul. I express my joy and honor to be in Brasília today to receive this award on her behalf"

Eugênio Prado, who received the award on behalf of his mother

NATIONAL POLICY — In this context, President Lula signed a decree regulating the National Reading and Writing Policy (Política Nacional de Leitura e Escrita/PNLE) in September 2024. The document provides for the strengthening of integrated actions by the ministries of Education and Culture to promote reading — such as the National Book and Teaching Material Program (Programa Nacional do Livro e do Material Didático/PNLD).  “One of the objectives is to make Brazil a country of readers. Books are crucial to our education and understanding of the world,” the President emphasized when signing the decree. 

BIOGRAPHY — Born in Divinópolis, in the state of Minas Gerais, in December 1935, Adélia Luiz Prado de Freitas is a poet, teacher, philosopher, novelist, and short story writer linked to Brazilian modernism. The 89-year-old writer is considered the greatest living poet in Brazil. In 2024, she became the third Brazilian and the first writer from Minas Gerais to win the Camões Prize, as well as having won the Machado de Assis Prize that same year.

FEMININE - Adélia Prado was a teacher for 24 years until she decided to dedicate herself entirely to being a writer. The author represented the revaluation of the feminine in literature, and of women as thinking individuals, by incorporating roles as intellectuals and mothers, wives and housewives. Her work is marked by language that is simple and direct, yet deeply lyrical and spiritual. Prado addresses topics such as faith, love, family, daily life, and the female condition, always from a unique perspective that mixes the sacred and the profane. The pages written by the author from Minas Gerais usually bring up subjects related to God, family, and the perspective of women. 

CAMÕES PRIZE — The Camões Prize, the most important award in Portuguese literature, was established by the governments of Brazil and Portugal in 1988 as a means to strengthen cultural ties between the nations that make up the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries [Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa/CPLP] and enriching the literary and cultural heritage of Portuguese-speaking countries. Named after the greatest writer in the history of the Portuguese language — Portuguese poet Luís Vaz de Camões — the prize is awarded to authors who enrich the literary and cultural heritage of Portuguese through their body of work. 

JURY — The Portuguese Ministry of Culture organizes the awards ceremony on the Portuguese side, while the National Library Foundation [Fundação Biblioteca Nacional] organizes the Brazilian side. In all editions of the award, the jury is composed of two Portuguese and two Brazilian jurors, and by two representatives from the other CPLP nations — Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Mozambique, East Timor, and São Tomé and Príncipe. The term of office for the jurors is two years. The diploma awarded to the laureates contains the names of all Portuguese-speaking countries and is signed by the heads of state of Brazil and Portugal. Among the 34 winners are authors from five Portuguese-speaking countries (Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique, Angola, and Cape Verde).

AWARD — The winner receives a prize of 100 thousand euros, equivalent to more than BRL 580 thousand. The amount is subsidized equally between the two institutions that organize Camões: the Portuguese Ministry of Culture and Brazil’s National Library Foundation, linked to the Brazilian Ministry of Culture. As of 2024, eight women have won the award, four of them Brazilian.