Portuguese - this year's Book Fair's Guest of Honor
Friday, September 16, 2011
One language – many cultures
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By: Dragoljub Zamurović |
From my language I see the sea, once wrote the great Portuguese author Vergílio Ferreira, but it could have been said by anyone from the countries of East Timor, Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, or Guinea-Bissau. They all have one thing in common – a view of the sea. But their similarities do not end here: they all carry their homeland – the Portuguese language – in their souls. This language, intrinsic to many different cultures, has gained the privilege of carrying the Guest of Honor title for the first time at the Belgrade Book Fair – the title that has been reserved for countries alone.
Due to their diplomatic presence in our country, Angola, Brazil, and Portugal – all of which have embassies in Serbia – have been chosen as the main representatives of the Portuguese language and the rich culture of Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) countries.
Portuguese is the sixth most spoken language worldwide, used by about 200 million people in eight Lusophone countries. In addition to an elaborate exhibition of books in Portuguese, visitors will be presented a large number of literary works translated from this language especially for this occasion. Moreover, many major contemporary authors from Portuguese-speaking countries have accepted the invitation to be the guests of this year's Belgrade Book Fair.
Let us open our windows to a sea of words and feel the flow of the Portuguese language – the language which is still largely underappreciated, or at least not very known about in Serbia. This year's Book Fair may be the beginning of a journey to meeting new cultures and world literatures. Enjoy your journey to the world of literature in Portuguese!