The prestigious Order of Arts and Letters was conferred upon acclaimed author Lídia Jorge at a ceremony held at the French Embassy in Portugal. The accolade was presented by French Ambassador Hélène Farnaud-Defromont, as announced on the Instagram page of the Institut Français du Portugal.
The Commander of Arts and Letters insignia recognizes the profound and sensitive nature of Jorge’s work, which resonates profoundly within Portuguese memory and extends its echo throughout Europe.
Jorge, whose influential novels include “The Day of Prodigies,” “The Murmuring Coast,” “The Painter of Birds,” and “The Memorables,” has established herself as a pivotal voice in contemporary literature, according to the publication.
In 2023, Jorge made history by becoming the first Portuguese-speaking author to win the Prix Médicis Étranger with her novel “Misericórdia” (2022). This prestigious award, established in France in 1970, further cements her distinguished career.
Born 75 years ago in Boliqueime, Algarve, Jorge debuted in 1980 with her novel “O Dia dos Prodígios.”
Her bibliography not only includes numerous novels but also short story collections, children’s literature, essays, plays, poetry, and chronicles.
Jorge has been the recipient of various national and international literary awards, among them, the 2020 FIL Prize for Literature in Romance Languages from Guadalajara, one of Latin America’s most significant literary honors.
The University of Massachusetts, USA, inaugurated the Lídia Jorge Chair on April 5, dedicated to studying her work. This follows the establishment of a chair at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, in September 2021.
Since March 2021, Lídia Jorge has also served as a member of the Portuguese Council of State, a consultative political body to the President of Portugal.
