Zeferino Coelho, editor at Caminho, confessed on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at FÓLIO – Óbidos International Literary Festival, that “the main fear of an editor is to have a masterpiece in their hands and not realize it.” The editor was the first to be honored by the Municipality of Óbidos with the José Pinho Award, former administrator of Ler Devagar and founder of FÓLIO. Surrounded by authors he published over more than 50 years, editors, and friends, Zeferino Coelho, 81, continues to work for Caminho, a publishing house acquired by Leya.
The Caminho editor admitted that the experience of not recognizing a masterpiece has happened "several times, and it's normal," observing that "fixed ideas are very useful, but sometimes they are fatal," alluding to giving up reading a proof after the first 10 pages.
In response to the praise from various writers, Zeferino Coelho commented that he is "going through a period in life where I look more to the past than to the future," but that he "will do many more things".
Mozambican writer Mia Couto highlighted, in a message sent, Zeferino Coelho's attention "to others" and for opening doors to writers from five African countries, stating that he did it "for the love of literature" and helped with publication in their countries, giving "full editorial autonomy to Angolan and Mozambican owners." Three Mozambican authors launched by the editor received the Camões Prize.
After publishing 29 books together, writer Daniel Sampaio characterized Zeferino Coelho as a "courageous" man, with whom he developed a relationship of trust that turned into friendship. He recalled his "political and civic journey" as a "man of the left during the dictatorship, when that position involved risks".
Daniel Sampaio emphasized that "literature is not just a commercial object. It is a form of knowledge, of confrontation with the world, and of freedom," and that editing "involves discovering, reading, accompanying." "Looking at the 29 books, I see the history of a fraternal and stimulating friendship, the rigor with which he read and accompanied my books. I had the privilege of having a great editor and a great friend," he added.
Ana Rita Bessa, executive administrator of Leya, described Zeferino Coelho as a privileged witness "of his sense of duty, sense of humor, and inexhaustible wisdom," arriving at Leya "always with the newspaper [Público] under his arm, sometimes with a Basque beret, and always with an open door," being presented as "an editor who organizes memory".
Writer Paulo Teixeira recalled that in 1991, a European commissioner predicted the end of Caminho, but the prophecy did not come true. Despite the difficulties, Zeferino Coelho never made them known, and maintained the habit of waiting for authors at the door, "as if we were TV and radio stars".
Filipe Daniel, mayor of Óbidos, stated that by awarding the José Pinho Award for the first time, the history of the prize begins to be written, and Zeferino Coelho's name gives this beginning "a reference of demand, seriousness, and commitment to literature." "An editor reads carefully, recognizes a voice, accompanies a work. They need criteria to choose and courage to sustain choices, whose value is not always immediately recognized," he noted.
The mayor explained that the Municipality wants to make this discreet work visible and thank it, justifying that "Zeferino Coelho's career shows us how much an editor can add to a country's culture," forming new readers with the "Uma Aventura" collection. "This award brings together two paths with a very clear meeting point. José Pinho helped create places and encounters for books. Zeferino Coelho dedicated his life to caring for books and those who write them," he summarized.
Alberto Santos, Secretary of State for Culture, highlighted that "most of an editor's work is done far from the readers' eyes," mentioning reading unknown authors, making corrections, choosing covers, and titles. The former mayor of Penafiel, Zeferino Coelho's hometown, recalled stories of the editor, such as waiting for the traveling library and his question to his grandfather about "Os Lusíadas," which shaped the honored editor.
Alberto Santos congratulated the FÓLIO organization for the tribute and for giving readers the opportunity to talk with authors and participate in cultural debate, reiterating that "José Pinho believed that books could transform a land" and that awarding the prize bearing his name to Zeferino Coelho brings together "two paths that took literature further".
