Sérgio Godinho, recognized as “one of the most important Portuguese authors of today,” will be honored at the Porto Book Fair in 2025. The tribute will highlight his fictional and poetic works, which stand “in quality alongside his songwriting,” according to the mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira, in a statement published on the fair’s website where the full program is available.
“The creative universe of this multifaceted artist inspires the fair’s programming, which spans various artistic expressions: from literature to music, including visual arts, cinema, and spoken word,” the mayor added.
For 17 days, the Gardens of the Crystal Palace will host 113 publishers, booksellers, and antiquarians across 130 stalls and will feature events such as mural interventions, concerts, games, book presentations, cinema, discussions, exhibitions, and workshops for children and youth, as per the available program.
On the inaugural day, a mural intervention by the illustrator Mariana, also known as Miserable, will take place, titled “A Minhoca,” inspired by Sérgio Godinho’s song “Lá Isso É” (1978).
The opening concert, “E o coração que o conte/quantas vezes já bateu pra nada,” will be held at the Acoustic Shell, curated by Tiago Andrade and Bruno Rocha, occurring at the end of the day.
In the evening, as part of the cinema programming, the Almeida Garrett Municipal Library Auditorium will present “Estilhaços,” based on a spectacle by Adolfo Luxúria Canibal.
On the 23rd, key events include the dedication of a linden tree in Sérgio Godinho’s honor at 3:00 PM, followed by a tribute session titled “Sérgio sobre o Porto,” featuring the musician, Rui Moreira, João Gobern, and Francisco José Viegas.
The cinema schedule throughout the fair includes screenings of films such as “Era uma vez no Apocalipse” by Tiago Pimentel, featuring Sérgio Godinho, “Kilas o mau da fita,” followed by a discussion with the musician, “Nós por cá todos bem” by Fernando Lopes, “Jules et Jim” by François Truffaut, and the multimedia lecture “O labirinto da beleza” by Martim Sousa Tavares, among others.
The concerts are a major highlight of the event, featuring performances by artists such as Manel Cruz, Márcia, Três Tristes Tigres, Lula Pena, Napa, and concluding with a concert by Sérgio Godinho & Os Assessores, with Manuela Azevedo as a guest.
Additionally, music-themed podcasts like “Assim ou Assado,” with Marco Neves and Sam The Kid, and “O que cresci ouvindo,” with Ivan Lima and Sérgio Godinho, will be available.
There will also be various thematic discussions, including “Quantas faces ocultas na face visível da lua?” with Luísa Sobral moderated by Maria João Costa, “Contrafação da liberdade é ignomínia” with António Brito Guterres moderated by Teresa Coutinho, and “Tudo no amor faz do nada um tudo” with Lídia Jorge moderated by Rui Couceiro.
The program includes an initiative by the cultural cooperative Frenesim, an open call for all voices in Porto to join a collective creation choir for a performance on September 6 and 7, titled “Maré Alta — Coro instantâneo do Porto.”
“Within the realm of the Porto Book Fair, we have crafted an infectious literary festival centered on rich, vibrant, and diverse programming, made possible by the collaboration and precise contribution of hundreds of ‘word alchemists,'” highlights the programming coordinator, João Gesta.
In the coordinator’s words, “freedom will pass” through the Porto Book Fair, which is expected to “transform into a rigorous exercise of liberation, a word festival in service of the clear and dizzying day, a festival where the whole world fits.”
Writer and editor Francisco José Viegas, the commissioner of the tribute to Sérgio Godinho, revealed that starting September 23, on Avenida das Tílias, one of these trees will bear Sérgio Godinho’s name and his verses, highlighting the launch of his new book of short stories, “Como se não houvesse amanhã,” as well as the closing concert which happens a week after the singer’s 80th birthday.
