“In recent years, we have achieved this accomplishment, which undoubtedly fills us with pride. With the publishers we collaborate with, we conducted the final assessment and realized that, following the Lisbon and Porto book fairs, we rank third, which gives us immense satisfaction,” stated Vânia Ferreira during a press conference.
The 20th edition of the Outono Vivo festival takes place from October 24 to November 9 in Praia da Vitória, on Terceira Island.
One of the main highlights is the book fair, organized this year in partnership with the São Miguel-based publisher and bookstore Letras Lavadas.
Around 20,000 titles from 80 to 100 publishers and a total of 50,000 to 60,000 books are expected, noted the mayor.
Vânia Ferreira explained that the festival, celebrating its 20th anniversary, is a significant event on the cultural calendar of Terceira Island and the Azores, justifying the municipality’s investment.
“Our investment continuously aims to attract something unique, in terms of writers, that could become a reference point for visitors to the Azores, book lovers, literature enthusiasts, and those seeking quality cultural moments,” she emphasized.
Looking ahead to 2024, the mayor of Praia da Vitória expressed a focus on the festival’s internationalization, which previously featured foreign writers.
This year, such efforts were not pursued, yet Vânia Ferreira maintained “high expectations” for the event’s success.
“We cannot always operate on the same level. We believe that, by diversifying, we can achieve this annually, providing a rich experience all the same,” she remarked.
The mayor announced that the opening session will feature the Secretary of State for Culture, highlighting it as a sign of “recognition of the event’s growing prominence.”
Besides the book fair, the Outono Vivo festival offers a cultural lineup with book presentations, debates, exhibitions, musical performances, cinema showings, and wine tastings.
Featured writers include João de Melo, Germano Almeida, Tânia Ganho, Rui Cardoso Martins, Vasco Pereira da Costa, Henrique Levy, João Garcia, Hugo van der Ding, Pedro Andersson, Maria Inês Almeida, Aníbal Pires, Paulo Noval, Pedro Ventura, Pedro Almeida e Maia, and Carlos Borba.
The schedule includes a roundtable on the challenges of Cape Verdean literature, featuring Dina Salústio, the first Cape Verdean woman to write and publish a novel in the country.
Additionally, the cine-concert ‘Documentário Terceirense’ will be presented, showcasing the first film made in Terceira, a silent movie accompanied by Arsénio Martins on piano and Paulo Cunha on double bass.
Highlights include a literary-touristic walk about Vitorino Nemésio, native of Praia da Vitória, and the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the book Festa Redonda by the author.
The book by the winner of the Vitorino Nemésio Literary Prize, published by the Legislative Assembly of the Azores, will also be showcased.
The festival marks the golden jubilee of João Melo’s literary career with the presentation of ‘As Novas Fases da Lua’ and ‘A Nuvem no Olhar’ books, with the author’s presence.
It also pays tribute to the Terceira writer Álamo Oliveira, who passed away this year, featuring a discussion on his life and work.
The municipality’s budget for the festival’s cultural program amounts to 50,000 euros, consistent with previous editions, according to the mayor.
This is the first book fair edition organized in partnership with Letras Lavadas.
As Vânia Ferreira explained, with Praia Cultural’s cooperative internalization, the municipality had to open a public tender for the management of that space, which was left vacant.
“There were no interested parties among the island’s booksellers, prompting us to explore options for overcoming this challenge. Letras Lavadas expressed interest and availability. They are an established presence with significant knowledge, a well-known publisher, and dynamic, distinctive social media work that could provide a different boost to this festival,” she pointed out.
Ernesto Resendes, responsible for the bookstore, announced that Letras Lavadas aims to “introduce new publishers, authors, regional books, and diverse options for both children and adults.”
“This festival, the third largest in the country, increasingly gains recognition and quality, with the goal of evolving each year and improving various aspects,” he emphasized.
A new feature this year is the option of purchasing books from the fair via WhatsApp, with deliveries to the national market at no additional cost.
