President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa congratulated Lídia Jorge on Thursday for winning the Pessoa Prize this year, highlighting that the author is “widely recognized” for her work and “has had a growing civic intervention as a voice that makes itself heard on issues that concern everyone”.
“I congratulate writer Lídia Jorge on being awarded the Pessoa Prize, recalling on this occasion its founder, Francisco Pinto Balsemão,” the head of state wrote in a note published on the Presidency of the Republic’s website.
“Widely recognized, both in Portugal and abroad, for her literary work, Lídia Jorge has had a growing civic intervention, not as a ‘national conscience,’ as was used in other times, but as a voice that makes itself heard on issues that concern everyone, whether in the press and television, the Council of State, or the very urgent and much acclaimed speech during the June 10th celebrations in Lagos,” added the President of the Republic.
Today, writer Lídia Jorge warned against the possibility of madmen reaching power and against “the revisionist fury that assaults from the extremes,” in a speech condemning racism, slavery, and the culture of mediocrity.
Lusa | 13:15 – 10/06/2025
It should be noted that writer Lídia Jorge was chosen this Thursday to receive the 2025 Pessoa Prize, an initiative that “aims to recognize the activity of Portuguese people with a significant role in the country’s cultural and scientific life”.
“Meeting in Seteais, the jury of the 2025 Pessoa Prize decided to award the Pessoa Prize to Lídia Jorge”, announced Francisco Pedro Balsemão, president of the jury. “Lídia Jorge’s literary career began with a series of titles that immediately consecrated her in the Portuguese and international literary scene,” he also highlighted.
The Pessoa Prize, it should be emphasized, is an initiative of the weekly newspaper Expresso and Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD), and the winner receives a prize of 70,000 euros.
Writer Lídia Jorge was chosen this Thursday to receive the 2025 Pessoa Prize, an initiative that “aims to recognize the activity of Portuguese people with a significant role in the country’s cultural and scientific life.”
Márcia Guímaro Rodrigues with Lusa | 12:04 – 11/12/2025
Remember the list of all winners of the Pessoa Prize:
1987 – José Mattoso
1988 – António Ramos Rosa
1989 – Maria João Pires
1990 – Menez
1991 – Cláudio Torres
1992 – António and Hanna Damásio
1993 – Fernando Gil
1994 – Herberto Helder
1995 – Vasco Graça Moura
1996 – João Lobo Antunes
1997 – José Cardoso Pires
1998 – Eduardo Souto Moura
1999 – Manuel Alegre and José Manuel Rodrigues
2000 – Emanuel Nunes
2001 – João Bénard da Costa
2002 – Manuel Sobrinho Simões
2003 – José Joaquim Gomes Canotilho
2004 – Mário Cláudio
2005 – Luís Miguel Cintra
2006 – António Câmara
2007 – Irene Flunser Pimentel
2008 – João Luís Carrilho da Graça
2009 – D. Manuel Clemente
2010 – Maria do Carmo Fonseca
2011 – Eduardo Lourenço
2012 – Richard Zenith
2013 – Maria Manuel Mota
2014 – Henrique Leitão
2015 – Rui Chafes
2016 – Frederico Lourenço
2017 – Manuel Aires Mateus
2018 – Miguel Bastos Araújo
2019 – Tiago Rodrigues
2020 – Elvira Fortunato
2021 – Tiago Pitta e Cunha
2022 – João Luís Barreto Guimarães
2023 – José Tolentino Mendonça
2024 – Luís Tinoco
2025 – Lídia Jorge
Leia Também: Lídia Jorge alerta que Europa está imóvel a ver repetir-se “opressão”
