Arnaldo França Literary Prize: Applications Open for 2024
Aspiring Cape Verdean writers have until July 31 to submit their manuscripts for the prestigious Arnaldo França Literary Prize. The competition, which celebrates outstanding unpublished prose, is open to Cape Verdean nationals and residents who have lived in the country for more than five years.
Jointly established in 2018 by the Portuguese Mint and Official Printing Office (INCM) and the National Press of Cape Verde (INCV), the prize serves a dual purpose: nurturing literary talent in the Portuguese language and honoring the legacy of Arnaldo França, one of Cape Verde’s most influential cultural figures.
A Platform for Literary Excellence
The winner of the competition will receive a 5,000-euro cash prize and see their manuscript published. A panel of judges is expected to announce the winner by the end of the year, with the possibility of awarding additional honorable mentions for notable entries.
Last year’s top honors went to Claudino Henriques Veiga for his work Djarbês da Fontarém — Silhueta de um País em Trânsito, which stood out during the competition’s eighth edition.
Honoring a Cultural Icon
The prize is named after Arnaldo França, a giant of Cape Verdean letters. A graduate of the Technical University of Lisbon, França was a central figure in the 1944 “Certeza” literary movement. Throughout his distinguished career, he served as a poet, essayist, critic, researcher, and historian.
França was also a vital bridge between Portuguese and Cape Verdean cultures. He famously translated the works of Portuguese masters like Luís de Camões, Fernando Pessoa, and Sophia de Mello Breyner into the Cape Verdean language, and collaborated on definitive literary collections including the poetic works of Jorge Barbosa.
Image: Pexels – Esra Korkmaz
