The Portuguese writer João Morgado has been nominated for the Dublin Literary Award with the English edition of the biographical novel, “Dust in the Gale – The turbulent life of Vasco da Gama”.
This is the first international nomination for the author, who hails from Covilhã, competing with the translation of “Índias” (Clube do Autor), a biographical novel about Vasco da Gama, translated by José Godinho and supported by the Instituto Camões and Volf Entertainment.
“It is an extraordinary honor to see my work about Vasco da Gama cross oceans, just as the navigator himself did over five centuries ago,” stated João Morgado in a note sent to the Lusa agency.
For the 60-year-old author, this nomination represents “not only the recognition of a literary project but also the international projection of Portuguese history and culture.”
Established in 1994, the Dublin Literary Award, sponsored by the Dublin City Council, is the world’s most valuable literary prize for an individual fiction work, valued at 100,000 euros.
“Dust in the Gale – The turbulent life of Vasco da Gama,” published in the United States by Underline Publishing, is among a list of 69 titles nominated by 80 libraries from 36 countries.
A shortlist of up to 20 titles for the Dublin Literary Award will be announced on February 17, 2026, and the final list of six works will be revealed on April 7.
The winner of the 31st Dublin Literary Award will be unveiled on May 21 during the International Literature Festival in the Irish capital.
João Morgado, aged 60, has won nine national literary awards, including the Santos Stockler Literary Prize 2024, the Manuel da Fonseca National Short Story Prize 2020, and the Ferreira de Castro Literary Prize 2019.
Some of his works have been translated into English, Russian, Serbian, Indonesian, and Chinese.
Branding himself a “plural author,” João Morgado moves across literary genres such as historical novels, poetry, theater, and short stories, and has participated in literary festivals in Europe, Brazil, and Indonesia.
“Índias,” “Cemitério de Pardais,” “Cabral — O Desconhecido,” “Contos de Macau,” “Vera Cruz,” and “Diário dos Infelizes” are among his published works.
João Morgado is a doctoral candidate in Communication at the University of Beira Interior, holding a master’s degree in European Studies and Human Rights. He is a member of the Joaquim Veríssimo Serrão Research Center and is part of the Historical and Geographical Institute of Santa Catarina (Brazil).
For his research on Pedro Álvares Cabral, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Civic and Cultural Merit in Brazil.
