Prize-giving ceremony for the Camões Prize to Paulina Chiziane

The Camões Prize 2021, awarded to the Mozambican writer Paulina Chiziane, will be delivered on 5 May at 4 pm by the Prime Minister António Costa, in a ceremony to be held at the former Royal Arena in Lisbon.

Set up by Portugal and Brazil in 1988, the Camões prize is the most prestigious accolade for Portuguese language. It is annual and pays homage to writers who, through their work, contribute to the enrichment of the literary and cultural heritage of the Portuguese language.

The Ministry of Culture, via the Directorate-General for Books, Archives and Libraries, and the Office for Cultural Strategy, Planning and Evaluation, is charged with the Portuguese side of this Prize, the prize money of which is one hundred thousand euros, split equally by the Portuguese and Brazilian Governments.

Paulina Chiziane won the 33rd edition of the Camões Prize following a unanimous decision by the jury, made up of Jorge Alves de Lima (Brazil), Raul César Gouveia Fernandes (Brazil), Teresa Manjate (Mozambique), Ana Maria Martinho (Portugal), Carlos Mendes de Sousa (Portugal), and Tony Tcheka (Guinea-Bissau).

The jury met online and in-person on 20 October 2021 and decided to award the Mozambican writer unanimously, noting "her vast production and critical review, as well as the academic and institutional recognition of her oeuvre".

Giving Paulina Chiziane the Camões Prize acknowledges "the importance the writer gives in her books to the problems of Mozambican and African women", as well as "her recent work to come closer to the youth, namely by building bridges between literature and other arts", stated the jury in their statement.

The Minister of Culture, Pedro Adão e Silva, claims that "delivering the Camões Prize to the Mozambican writer Paulina Chiziane is a moment of huge significance for culture in Portuguese. She is the first woman of colour to receive the most prestigious prize for Portuguese language".

Under the regulations, Portugal and Brazil host the meetings and ceremonies to award this prize on rotation.