The Creative Writing Contest 2025 took place as part of the celebrations for the 500th anniversary of the birth of Luís de Camões, which will continue until June 2026. This initiative is promoted by the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP), in partnership with the Directorate-General for Books, Archives, and Libraries (DGLAB), according to the official website.
The national contest’s jury analyzed 78 texts from prisoners in Portuguese prisons and 12 written by young people under educational tutelage, inspired by Camões’ verse “Times change, and we change with them.”
The selection process occurred in two phases. Initially, the texts were reviewed by local juries, consisting of representatives from prisons, educational centers, and municipal libraries, and subsequently assessed by a national jury of professionals from DGRSP and DGLAB, which determined the final ranking.
In the Prison Category, the first prize was awarded to Isaac Furtado from the Pinheiro da Cruz Prison for his text “My Dear Luís.” The second prize went to Sara Formiga, an inmate in Tires, for “Remarkable Visit.”
The third prize was given to Luís Rafael do Carmo from the Angra do Heroísmo Prison for his text “…The Longing!”
Among the youth participants, Núria Cruz from the Navarro Paiva Educational Center won the first prize with an untitled text, while second place went to Leo Varanda from the Bela Vista Educational Center for “Memories of a Poet.”
The third prize was awarded to Martim Inácio from the Olivais Educational Center for the text “Changes.” An honorable mention was given to Siul d’Odeveza from the Santo António Educational Center for the work “Contradictions.”
The DGRSP highlights the importance of this initiative in the social reintegration and personal development process for those serving prison sentences or educational measures.
For the organizers, the involvement of inmates and young people in cultural initiatives serves as a bridge between the internal freedom that literature allows and the possibility of personal transformation, even in contexts of deprivation of liberty.
The “Reading without Borders” program, which includes this contest, has been promoting practices of reading, writing, and creation in various contexts of the prison and educational systems, supported by library networks and professionals from the cultural and justice sectors.
The choice of Camões as the inspirational figure for this edition is related to his central role in national identity, as well as the timelessness of his work and the relevance of his thoughts on change and destiny, according to the promoters.
