Africa-Press – Cape verde. The Ministry of Culture and Creative Industries will establish five annual literary prizes to distinguish original works of recognized quality, Minister Augusto Veiga announced this Thursday in Praia.
In a press conference, the minister stated that the initiative aims to promote the dissemination of national written and literary culture and heritage, stimulate and support literary creation, foster a love of reading, encourage creative writing, and reveal new talents.
“The awarding of these literary prizes will contribute to the appreciation and enrichment of Cape Verdean written and literary heritage, as well as to exalt our literature and our writers and poets,” he emphasized.
With the establishment of these prizes, he added, the Government intends to safeguard the country’s cultural identity and respond to the need for more incentives for the production of original works.
Of the five prizes, three are new: the Baltasar Lopes Literary Prize (novel), worth 500,000 escudos; the Eugénio Tavares Literary Prize (short story), worth 400,000 escudos; and the Jorge Barbosa Literary Prize (poetry), worth 400,000 escudos.
Two existing prizes will also be reinstated, now with adjusted values: the Orlanda Amarílis Children’s and Young Adult Literature Prize, worth 200,000 cruzeiros; and the Mário Fonseca Literary Prize, worth 400,000 cruzeiros, intended to reward an unpublished literary work in any field, whose nomination is submitted by a national publisher.
According to Augusto Veiga, the Mário Fonseca Prize will no longer distinguish the “Book of the Year” and will instead reward the publication of a nominated work, submitted by a publisher.
All prizes include publication of the winning work and a monetary component, except for the Mário Fonseca prize, which only covers publication.
Cape Verdean citizens residing in the country and in the diaspora, as well as foreigners residing in Cape Verde over 18 years of age, are eligible to compete for the Baltasar Lopes, Eugénio Tavares, Jorge Barbosa, and Orlanda Amarílis prizes. National publishers are eligible to apply for the Mário Fonseca prize.
The three new prizes are sponsored by Cabo Verde Telecom, while the two reinstated prizes are partnered with the Cape Verdean Academy of Letters.
The jury will be composed of academics, writers, and publishers, representing the Cape Verdean literary ecosystem, and the awards ceremony will take place between the end of February and the beginning of March.
The minister also announced the existence of a sixth prize, the Manuel Lopes Prize, in partnership with the Portuguese Mint and National Press, now in its third edition, bringing the total number of literary prizes in Cape Verde to six this year.
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