Why Portugal?

Fernando Pessoa was born in Lisbon’s Largo de São Carlos on 13 June 1888. He began writing during childhood, mainly in Portuguese, though he also produced works in English and French. Pessoa devoted much of his 47-year life to writing, regarding poetry and literature not as professions but as special vocations.

He died in Lisbon on 30 November 1935. The city appears frequently in his poetry and provides the setting for his celebrated Book of Disquiet. Today, his personal papers are held by the Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal, while his private book collection is preserved at Casa Fernando Pessoa and can be consulted online.