SPAutores press release: SPAutores 90 Years of History - A Year of Celebrations

As a way to mark SPAutores 90th birthday and to celebrate the work SPAutores has done for decades, before, during and after the dictatorship, the President of the Portuguese Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will grant the Order of the Liberty to SPAutores.

After accepting the invitation of SPAutores Board of Directors and Managing Board to preside over the opening of the SPAutores Author's Day Ceremony, which took place on May 20th, 2016, President of the Portuguese Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who is also an author with numerous published works and has been a keen observer of the Portuguese cultural life in its various dimensions, especially the editorial, graced this celebration with his presence. The President took this opportunity to compliment the work of SPAutores in defence of culture and authors and also in the promotion of the international heritage of the institution in recent years, having then announced that he will grant to SPAutores the Order of the Liberty.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also delivered the SPAutores Lifetime Achievement Award to Manuel Alegre, whose talent, struggle for freedom and fundamental citizenship values were praised by SPAutores with this award. Manuel Alegre, who has been a Member of the Portuguese Parliament for decades and was twice candidate for the Portuguese Presidency, is also a member of SPAutores and one of the most active personalities of Portuguese cultural life and politics, integrating important literary juries and having several books commended in Portugal and abroad.

At the May 20th ceremony, other awards were given as well such as the SPAutores Medal of Honor and the SPAutores Pro-Author Awards, which highlighted personalities and institutions that have played an important role in the defence and promotion of culture and the works of cultural creators.

During the ceremony, the book "Author's Rights-What Future in the Digital Age?" was released. This book was published by SPA jointly with Guerra e Paz. It includes 15 testimonies of the most important Portuguese experts in author's rights, from universities, companies, law firms and associations across the country. The book was released to bookstores and delivered to local authorities, police, the judiciary, law schools and Lusophone authors’ societies. The book has prefaces by SPAutoresPresident & CEO José Jorge Letria and Gadi Oron, Director General of CISAC, the international confederation that brings together 239 authors' societies from 123 countries from several continents.

With 160 pages, this book is an important reflection on a very important theme today. "We are all together in this book”, writes José Jorge Letria in the preface, encouraging debate and a productive reflection about the future, by asking a challenging question: “What is the future for author's rights in Portugal, from what we do and what we know?"

Other ceremonies took place during this past year, such as the SPAutores Annual Gala on March 22nd at D. Maria II National Theatre with a live broadcast on the Portuguese public TV channel RTP2. During this gala, SPAutores Awards highlighted important cultural events in 2016 and were presented to all areas of creation covered by SPAutores. 

Last but not least, the "Humberto Delgado-Writer and General Defender of Liberty" exhibition was open to the public on May 17th in SPAutores gallery Carlos Paredes and will continue until the end of September. This exhibition honours the “Fearless General”, the presidential candidate to the Portuguese Government on June 8th, 1958, who was murdered by the PIDE (political police of the dictatorial Portuguese regime) in February 1965 in Spain, near the border with Portugal, along with his secretary, Ms. Arajaryr Campos. This exhibition marks and celebrates the decision to name the Lisbon International Airport after General Humberto Delgado.

This exhibit also valorises and celebrates the fact that Humberto Delgado was SPAutores member from December 1942 until the time of his tragic death, and has published books and theatre plays, staged in Lisbon and also in Brazil, while he was exiled. SPA also wishes to contribute to the publishing of an original novel by Delgado, entitled Elsa, which was written while he was in Rio de Janeiro.