Prêmio Oceanos

[DouglasM]

Formerly known as Portugal Telecom Prize, Prêmio Oceanos is the Portuguese language equivalent to the Booker Prize. At first focused only in Brazilian literature, it began accepting works from any lusophone country by 2007. It still had a strong presence of works from Brazilian and Portuguese literature among the finalists, but in the past couple years it has been a little more welcoming to African authors. Last year's winner was Angolan-Portuguese writer Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida for her work Luanda, Lisboa, Paraíso.

This year's longlist was posted a month ago, on August 25, with 54 titles comprising novels, poetry and short stories. Here's the complete list: https://portal-assets.icnetworks.or...97/Semifinalistas_Oceanos_2020_p_Site__1_.pdf

Contrary to what I said above, a predominantly Brazilian and Portuguese list. I know Brazil has a bigger population than all other countries combined, but only 2 works from African countries out of 54? It's hard to find and excuse for that, and I doubt it's a literary one.

 

[DouglasM]

Just as a curiosity, here are the winners from previous years:

2003: Nine Nights, Bernardo Carvalho / Pico na veia, Dalton Trevisan (tie)
2004: Macau, Paulo Henriques Britto
2005: Os lados do círculo, Amílcar Bettega
2006: Ashes of the Amazon, Milton Hatoum
2007: Jerusalem, Gonçalo M. Tavares
2008: The Eternal Son, Cristovão Tezza
2009: Ó, Nuno Ramos
2010: Spilt Milk, Chico Buarque
2011: Passageiro do fim do dia, Rubens Fiqueiredo
2012: A máquina de fazer espanhóis, Valter Hugo Mãe
2013: O sonâmbulo amador, José Luiz Passos
2014: O drible, Sérgio Rodrigues
2015: Mil Rosas Roubadas, Silviano Santiago
2016: Galveias, José Luís Peixoto
2017: Karen, Ana Teresa Pereira
2018: Câmera lenta, Marília Garcia
2019: Luanda, Lisboa, Paraíso, Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida

 

[Daniel del Real]

I've read four titles of the list: Tavares, Tezza, Buarque and Mãe. I was completely mesmerized by Jerusalem; Spilt Milk and A máquina de fazer espanhóis were good, despite there is something so pretentious in Mae's books. Didn't like the Tezza at all.

 

[DouglasM]

Do you remember what you did not like about Tezza? I read it right after release back in 2008, I guess, so my memory may betray me, but I remember loving it. This book in particular is like the merging of two worlds. Thematically, it reminds a lot of Kenzaburo Oe's A Personal Matter, since it's about a writer who must come to terms with being the father of a disabled child, Tezza's own experience just like in Oe's case. Stylistically, the prose is similar to Coetzee's.

Conversely, I'm not too fond of his other novels. Tried reading some of them, but gave up on them all.

despite there is something so pretentious in Mae's books.

Coudn't agree more. He's a great guy, so from time to time I give him another try, but by now it's safe to say he's not for me. I don't like the feeling that the author is deliberately trying to write only beautiful sentences, as if he's always trying to move the reader to tears, and avoids delving into the dark aspects of existence. Other authors with similar prose, like Jón Kalman Stefánsson, write beautifully but do not avoid exploring bleak approaches when necessary. In short, I think Valter Hugo Mãe is too much melodrama for me.

 

[Bartleby]

I've read four titles of the list: Tavares, Tezza, Buarque and Mãe. I was completely mesmerized by Jerusalem; Spilt Milk and A máquina de fazer espanhóis were good, despite there is something so pretentious in Mae's books. Didn't like the Tezza at all.

I remember really liking the Hugo Mãe, found the writing strong, but I read it some 9 years ago before he was as big as he is today (read: popular), so no idea what I'd think of it now. it's still the only of his books I've read; I really want to read O Filho de Mil Homens though...

 

[nagisa]

Thank you all for this snapshot of contemporary lusophone literature

 

[Daniel del Real]

I don't like the feeling that the author is deliberately trying to write only beautiful sentences, as if he's always trying to move the reader to tears, and avoids delving into the dark aspects of existence. Other authors with similar prose, like Jón Kalman Stefánsson, write beautifully but do not avoid exploring bleak approaches when necessary. In short, I think Valter Hugo Mãe is too much melodrama for me.

Exactly, you put it in better words than me. That happened especially with the two more recent titles I read O Filho de mil Homens & A Desumanização. He tries so hard to create beautiful imagery & deep thoughts it makes it look artificial. For that, I think A Máquina...was more achieved.
I'm not saying I won't read him anymore but I'll give him a break of a couple of years.

Don't remember much about Tezza's book either. He was at the GDL Bookfair like ten years ago where he presented this same book. Liked the conference and bought the novel, he even signed it. Then I read it, and I was underwhelmed. Probably I gave it three stars.

 

[DouglasM]

Prêmio Oceanos just announced its 2021 shortlist - or, as we say, finalistas. Here's the list:

?? Cristovão Tezza, A tensão superficial do tempo ("The Superficial Tension of Time"? help me here, @Bartleby and @Leseratte)
?? Santiago Nazarian, Fé no inferno ("Faith in Hell")
?? Pedro Eiras, Inferno
?? Maria José Silveira, Maria Altamira
?? Edimilson de Almeida Pereira, O ausente ("The Absent One")
?? Jeferson Tenório, O avesso da pele ("The Back of the Skin", I think)
?? Mia Couto, O mapeador de ausências ("The Absence Mapper")
?? Gonçalo M. Tavares, O osso do meio ("The Middle Bone")
?? Luís Cardoso, O plantador de abóboras ("The Pumpkin Planter")
?? Thais Lancman, Pessoas promíscuas de águas e pedras (no idea how to correctly translate this)

 

[tiganeasca]

Prêmio Oceanos just announced its 2021 shortlist - or, as we say, finalistas. Here's the list:

?? Cristovão Tezza, A tensão superficial do tempo ("The Superficial Tension of Time"? help me here, @Bartleby and @Leseratte)
?? Santiago Nazarian, Fé no inferno ("Faith in Hell")
?? Pedro Eiras, Inferno
?? Maria José Silveira, Maria Altamira
?? Edimilson de Almeida Pereira, O ausente ("The Absent One")
?? Jeferson Tenório, O avesso da pele ("The Back of the Skin", I think)
?? Mia Couto, O mapeador de ausências ("The Absence Mapper")
?? Gonçalo M. Tavares, O osso do meio ("The Middle Bone")
?? Luís Cardoso, O plantador de abóboras ("The Pumpkin Planter")
?? Thais Lancman, Pessoas promíscuas de águas e pedras (no idea how to correctly translate this)

I somehow never saw this thread before; thanks for posting all the wonderful leads (as yet more books go onto the pile!)

 

[Daniel del Real]

Prêmio Oceanos just announced its 2021 shortlist - or, as we say, finalistas. Here's the list:

?? Cristovão Tezza, A tensão superficial do tempo ("The Superficial Tension of Time"? help me here, @Bartleby and @Leseratte)
?? Santiago Nazarian, Fé no inferno ("Faith in Hell")
?? Pedro Eiras, Inferno
?? Maria José Silveira, Maria Altamira
?? Edimilson de Almeida Pereira, O ausente ("The Absent One")
?? Jeferson Tenório, O avesso da pele ("The Back of the Skin", I think)
?? Mia Couto, O mapeador de ausências ("The Absence Mapper")
?? Gonçalo M. Tavares, O osso do meio ("The Middle Bone")
?? Luís Cardoso, O plantador de abóboras ("The Pumpkin Planter")
?? Thais Lancman, Pessoas promíscuas de águas e pedras (no idea how to correctly translate this)

Really glad to see new books from Couto & Tavares, hope they get translated soon.

 

[Leseratte]

From de Brazilian authors of the list, Tezza seems to be the best known. Mostly these recent books aren´t included in the Wikipedia pages of the authors as yet.

 

[Leseratte]

Two of the novels are also shortlisted for the Jabuti scheduled for Nov. 25th:
Fé no Inferno | Author: Santiago Nazarian | Editor: Companhia das Letras
and
O avesso da pele | Author: Jeferson Tenório | Editor: Companhia das Letras

The others are:
Nem sinal de asas (No Sign of Wings) | Author: Marcela Dantés Editor: Patuá
Os supridores (The Supliers) Autor(a): José Falero | Editor: Todavia
Solução de dois Estados (Two State Solution) | Author: Michel Laub | Editor: Companhia das Letras

I shan't wonder if Tenório´s novel wins one of both awards.

 

[DouglasM]

Prêmio Oceanos just announced its 2021 shortlist - or, as we say, finalistas. Here's the list:

?? Cristovão Tezza, A tensão superficial do tempo ("The Superficial Tension of Time"? help me here, @Bartleby and @Leseratte)
?? Santiago Nazarian, Fé no inferno ("Faith in Hell")
?? Pedro Eiras, Inferno
?? Maria José Silveira, Maria Altamira
?? Edimilson de Almeida Pereira, O ausente ("The Absent One")
?? Jeferson Tenório, O avesso da pele ("The Back of the Skin", I think)
?? Mia Couto, O mapeador de ausências ("The Absence Mapper")
?? Gonçalo M. Tavares, O osso do meio ("The Middle Bone")
?? Luís Cardoso, O plantador de abóboras ("The Pumpkin Planter")
?? Thais Lancman, Pessoas promíscuas de águas e pedras (no idea how to correctly translate this)

And the winner of the Prêmio Oceanos in 2021 is Luís Cardoso, for his novel O plantador de abóboras (The Pumpkin Planter). This is the first time an author from East Timor wins the prize.

 

[Leseratte]

East Timor got its independence only in 2002, that may be the reason.
I only just realized that the Oceanos is the former Portugal Telecom Prize.

 

[DouglasM]

East Timor got its independence only in 2002, that may be the reason.

I don't think so. Many authors already wrote in Portuguese prior to the country's independence, and Prêmio Oceanos' (then known as Portugal Telecom) first edition was in 2003. I think we're talking about other kind of structure here - the same reason the prize only went to Africa once in all these years. But better late than never, right? I hope to read Cardoso's novel as soon as its published in Brazil.

 

[Leseratte]

Do you mean that the reason for conferring it was ideological? Well, possibly you are right. The award is now administered by ItaÚ Cultural who is very open to new tendencies and new authors.

Oceanos-Prêmio de Literatura em Língua Portuguesa - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Daniel del Real]

And the winner of the Prêmio Oceanos in 2021 is Luís Cardoso, for his novel O plantador de abóboras (The Pumpkin Planter). This is the first time an author from East Timor wins the prize.

This is really interesting. I've never read anything from East Timor. I wonder if this or some other works from this author have been translated.

 

[Bartleby]

Interesting result! I wish to see this book published here in Brazil soon, curious about it from what I’ve read. I was expecting another Jabuti winning novel to get it again (after Torto Arado), in this case the Tenório book, which has been highly praised as well..

 

[Leseratte]

Here is an excerpt of the book (about 30 pages) from Editora Abysmo. I don´t know if they deliver to Brazil.

https://abysmo.pt/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Aboboras_net.pdf

 

[Benny Profane]

Well, it sounds interesting.
I thought this book has written in Tétum (the dialect-patois-creole of East Timor), not in Portuguese.

This is really interesting. I've never read anything from East Timor. I wonder if this or some other works from this author have been translated.

Neither did I, however I've interested in the culture of East Timor recently.