“The President of Portugal pays tribute to Nelson de Matos, one of the most renowned figures in publishing in Portugal. He directed Arcádia and Moraes, and later D. Quixote, concluding his career with a label under his own name, Edições Nelson de Matos, where he edited and reissued works of a favored author, José Cardoso Pires,” states a note on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa notes that the ‘boom’ of Portuguese novels post-1974 can be said to have passed through the hands of Nelson de Matos, who published works by authors such as António Lobo Antunes, Mário Cláudio, and Lídia Jorge, “in addition to publishing younger authors, Lusophone writers, and the Portuguese-Italian Antonio Tabucchi.”
The head of state further highlights that, as a novelist and critic in the 1960s and 1970s, Nelson de Matos translated Mário Soares’s book “Portugal Amordaçado” after the April 25, 1974 events and also stood out as “a trainer of publishers.”
“In addition to decades of camaraderie, in recent years he was a regular presence at the President’s annual dinner with publishers. To his family and friends, the President of the Republic sends heartfelt condolences,” reads the note.
The editor passed away at Hospital dos Lusíadas in Lisbon, his wife confirmed to Lusa, indicating that the wake will take place on Tuesday and the funeral on Wednesday, without specifying the location.
On its Instagram profile, Dom Quixote posted a message honoring the editor and expressing condolences to the family.
“Dom Quixote pays tribute to Nelson de Matos, on this sad day for all of us, responsible for the editing and publication, in this house, of some of the principal Portuguese-language writers, and to whom we all owe, without exception, the creation of what is still known as the great house of Portuguese authors,” reads the message from the publisher.
Expressing its “deepest condolences” to the family, the editorial brand also assured that “everything will be done to honor and continue the path initiated by Nelson de Matos.”
