Porto Book Fair starts with Manuel António Pina being highlighted this Friday

Manuel António Pina is the distinguished author of the 10th edition of the Feira do Livro do Porto, part of the cultural agenda of the city. The literary fair is back to the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal and opens doors this Friday, at 12.

Between the 25th of August and the 10th of September more than a hundred publishing houses, booksellers and antique stores will be occupying the Avenida das Tilias. The inauguration of the exhibition “Pina Germano” and the music of Mafalda Veiga will be some of the highlights of the first day.

Throughout the next three weeks, different spaces of the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal will house 20 talks, 21 concerts, 4 cinema sessions, 5 comedy sessions and 58 activities for children and families (full programme available on the event website).

What to do in this Feira do Livro

João Gesta, the literary coordinator of this edition of the festival, highlights out of the extensive programme which events are ‘must haves’ of the fair:

1 - UM SÍTIO ONDE POUSAR A CABEÇA (A PLACE TO PUT YOUR HEAD DOWN)
Exhibiton of the documentary by Alberto Serra, with realization by Ricardo Espírito Santo
27 august // 15h00 | BMAG auditorium

In this documentary, Manual António Pina is revealed in first person, with testimonies from friends, family and specialists on his worked. The “Pina universe” is unravelled through an audiovisual narrative which encompasses poetry, chronicles, children literature and theatre.

2 - NEM A POESIA MORRE NEM A GENTE JANTA (NEITHER DOES POETRY DIE NOR WE DINE)
Stand-up poetry with Rui Spranger, Isaque Ferreira and Renato Filipe Cardoso
29th august // 18h00| BMAG Auditorium

RIR presents a new stand-up poetry show, going over, in a phantasmagorical journey, poems and texts from authors that don’t die nor leave. A kind of dead poets society that reminds us that we should live each day as our last, because we all end up leaving one day.

3 - The CoPo – POESIA DE ENTRETENIMENTO CIENTÍFICO (THE CoPo – POETRY OF SCIENTIFIC ENTERTAINMENT)
Perfomance by Paulo Condessa and Nuno Moura
31 de agosto // 21h00| Auditório da BMAG

The CoPo (Paulo Condessa and Nuno Moura) presente “Salada de Trutas” (Trout salad). Two poets, two mouths, four arms and as many legs, reading poems in a synchronized chorus, going over the incomparable Cesarinys, Adílias, Pinas and some other trouts just as good.

4 - TERRIVELMENTE TEIMO EM ADORAR A LIBERDADE LIVRE (TERRIBLY I INSIST ON ADORING THE FREE FREEDOM)
Conversation with Adolfo Luxúria Canibal and Inês Fonseca Santos
1st of September // 16h30| BMAG Auditorium

A bold statement by Rimbaud guides this conversation with Adolfo Luxúria Canibal and flamed by Inês Fonseca Santos. Adolfo will speak about his work, his literary works, the taste of the text, the flame of the writing, the exotic perfume of the word. Unique opportunity to talk to us about “Beat”, the anthology he recently organised, with a selection of texts, translations, biographies and notes of his authorship.

5 - O SOM DA PALAVRA (THE SOUND OF THE WORD)
Concert by JP Simões
1st of September // 21h00| BMAG auditorium

The salt of the tongue, the boiling of the senses, the magnetic electricity of the word. Songwriter, who bewitches us with his disarming sonority, fruitful dialogues with life. Solo concert, radiant and intimate.

6 - A POESIA É FEITA CONTRA TODOS (POETRY IS MADE AGAINST ALL)

Conversation with Xullaji and Teresa Coutinho
3rd of September // 18h00| BMAG Auditorium

The title of an article by Herberto Helder, written in 1974 in the cultural leaflet q.b., named “& etc” will be the starting point of a fulminant conversation with the poet, rapper and activist Xullaji, leaded by Teresa Coutinho, coordinator of the project “Clube dos Poetas Vivos” (Alive Poets Society).

7 – FICHEIROS SECRETOS (SECRET FILES)
Conference by Luís Osório
3rd September // 21h00| BMAG Auditorium

Writer Luís Osório will search deep in his trunk and salvage some of his “Secret Files” in a way to define the country we are – a Portugal made of characters, mismatches and paradoxes.

8 – AFASTA DE MIM O PECADO DA INFELICIDADE (KEEP FAR AWAY FROM ME THE SIN OF UNHAPINESS)

Poet cycle session “Quintas de Leitura”
7th September// 22h00| BMAG Auditorium

A recital “steam driven by the black cigarettes of Manual António Pina and by melancholy, authenticity and exuberant irony in his poetry. The session will count with a friendly and fevered gesture of many artists, united with the greater intention of celebrating a fulgent writer to whom poetry was a “sort of religion without faith”. Under the singing of the night: João Luís Barreto Guimarães – introduction; Ana Zanatti, Francisca Bartilotti, Paula Cortes e José Anjos – readings; Lucília Monteiro – fotography; Bruno Soares – music; Pedro Moura – music; Larie _ music; B Fachada – music; João Ricardo Pateiro – performance

9 - A POESIA VAI ACABAR (POETRY WILL END)
Conversatio with Maria do Rosário Pedreira, Fernando Pinto do Amaral and Raquel Marinho
9th of September// 18h00| BMAG Auditorium

Poets will be made useful to, for example, watch birds, as long as birds don’t end of course, Manual António Pina humours. The title of a poem by Pina will act as a starting point for this conversation, without any filters, between two important voices of modern Portuguese poetry: Maria do Rosário Pedreira and Fernando Pinto do Amaral. Conversation will be moderated by Raquel Marinho, poetry promoter and coordinator of the project “O poema ensina a cair” and the poems will be read by Cristiana Sabino.

10 - DAR CORDA À PALAVRA (WIND THE WORD)
Concerts by Filipe Sambado (9th) and A Garota Não (10th)
9th and 10th of September // 19h00| Concha Acústica

Two challenging projects, distinctive, improbable sonorities in service of the celebration of the word. Spoken words, likely whispered, sang word, resisting the silence, time, absence, ignorance, disgrace, oppression. Only word disturbs.