5 Portuguese Authors Books to read on World Book and Copyright Day

Today we celebrate the World Book and Copyright Day and we asked an expert in the field for help. 

Once again, we challenged Marta Cravo, from the UCP Bookstore, to share five books written by Portuguese authors and, once again, she accepted. The result was five books by "5 Portuguese authors from 31 to 60 years old". 

1. e a noite roda
Alexandra Lucas Coelho
China ink 

We first met her as a journalist in major international reporting and policy discussions. More recently she debuted as a novelist in a beautiful book that combines fiction with her travel experience in a beautiful love story that has Jerusalem as its stage.
It is worth reading this book accompanied by the soundtrack that Alexandra Lucas Coelho advises. 

2. Depois de morrer aconteceram-me muitas coisas
Ricardo Adolfo
Alfaguara

We'd be lying if we said we didn't choose books by covers or titles. Just for this title, Ricardo Adolfo deserved an award. 
The subject of this novel is serious. It explores the dramatic situation in which Portuguese illegal immigrants live. The writing is light and the tragicomedy, sublime. 

3. Estranha Guerra de Uso Comum
Paulo Faria
Ithaca

Paulo Faria is, in the first place, an excellent translator. But as required by his profession, he is also an excellent writer. 
In his first pseudo-autobiographical novel we find a writing style at the level of the best storytellers. It takes us to the sequels of the colonial war that are (still) so close to all of us. 

4. O Baile
Nuno Duarte (script), Joana Afonso (art)
Kingpin Books

Our libraries should not lack good comic books. This one won an amateur comic book award a few years ago and for the illustration only is worth reading it. Two new artists who build a horror story that unfolds in 1967 when Pope Paul VI visited Portugal. 

5. Caras Baratas
Adília Lopes
Water Clock

There's no way we can't be in a good mood with Adilia's poetry. We can read it in layers: the poems we recognize from lyrics, those that seem so silly that they only make us laugh, or those that, even if so short, make us reflect on the immensity of the world. 
Like Herberto Hélder, Adília Lopes also has a peculiar relationship with the editing of her anthologies, but this one has by far the best title.