The 19th edition of Escritaria – Festival Literário de Penafiel takes place from October 20 to 25, dedicating six days to literature and various art forms. The event, with Timorese writer Luís Cardoso as its main honoree, will feature the Ponto C – Cultura e Criatividade venue, as well as schools and other cultural spaces in the municipality. The program blends books, music, theater, cinema, visual arts, and debates, addressing themes such as memory, identity, exile, freedom, and resistance.
The festival will gather a wide range of authors, researchers, artists, and public figures, including names like Ondjaki, D. Américo Aguiar, Adelino Gomes, Ana Gomes, Pedro Bacelar de Vasconcelos, Ana Sousa Dias, Dulce Pontes, Sérgio Godinho, João Gil, Mona Miari, and Shahd Wadi. The program kicks off on October 20 with the presentation of the 2025 commemorative edition, dedicated to Maria do Rosário Pedreira, and the performance Desver by Joana Craveiro.
Subsequent days will feature exhibitions such as ABUT LA HARE – Raízes Invisíveis by Catarino Bere, and TIMOR 1964-1966 | Lugares do Sol Nascente, with photographs by Manuel Casal Aguiar. Cinema will be highlighted on October 22 with the screening of the documentary O Voo do Crocodilo – O Timor de Ruy Cinatti by Fernando Vendrell, followed by a debate. There will also be performances, staged visits, and audiovisual installations.
Round tables will bring together figures such as D. Américo Aguiar, Pedro Bacelar de Vasconcelos, Adelino Gomes, Ana Gomes, Daniel Braga, Mona Miari, Shahd Wadi, Anabela Leal de Barros, and Lucília Pinho to discuss topics like Timorese democratic transition and magical realism.
On October 23, the bust of Luís Cardoso will be inaugurated in Jardim do Sameiro, accompanied by a dramatized tour. The Municipal Library will host the exhibition Takas: a literatura extraordinária de um viajante timorense, followed by the presentation of the reissued novel Olhos de Coruja Olhos de Gato Bravo, with Adélia Carvalho, Luís Cardoso, and Ondjaki. The evening will conclude with a concert by Dulce Pontes.
On October 24, the tribute to Luís Represas, titled Uma voz por Timor, will feature participation from João Gil, Mona Miari, and João Nuno Represas, reviving the song Timor. The day will also include a café-concert with Luís Cardoso & O Quarteto da Travessia.
The musical closing on October 25 will be by Sérgio Godinho, accompanied by pianist Filipe Raposo. The final day will also include ethnographic demonstrations and a tasting menu of Timorese cuisine.
Luís Cardoso, born in Kailako in 1958, arrived in Portugal in 1975 and has been an active advocate for the Timorese cause. Author of works such as Crónica de Uma Travessia and Requiem para o Navegador Solitário, he received the Prémio Oceanos in 2021 and the Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste in 2023.
Established in 2008, Escritaria transforms Penafiel into a cultural meeting point, promoting the Portuguese language and dialogue between peoples and cultures through initiatives that include permanent public art installations.
