"One day I was offered the book "A Queda de Um Anjo" by Camilo Castelo Branco and it was one of the most intense and fascinating reading experiences I've had in my life. The work is one of the great literary monuments of literary humour in Portugal and to this day it serves me as an inspiration, but also as a source of frustration for not being able to write like that". Bruno Vieira Amaral, the winner of the Camilo Castelo Branco Short Story Prize, with the work “Uma Ida ao Motel e Outras Histórias”, told the episode this Monday.
At the award ceremony promoted by Famalicão’s City Council, in collaboration with the Portuguese Writers' Association (APE), the writer spoke of his admiration for the "genius" Camilo Castelo Branco and the importance of the award for his literary career. "It is a huge honour, but also a responsibility".
"This award dignifies the writer's craft”, he said, highlighting the relevance of the award for the professionalization of writers. "Considering the size of our cultural market, the few and weak reading habits, these awards are of great importance. It is one of the fundamental prizes for more writers to dedicate themselves exclusively to writing", said Bruno Vieira Amaral.
With a monetary value of 7,500 euros, the Camilo Castelo Branco Short Story Prize is already in its 29th edition, and is an example of longevity and success.
The Mayor of Famalicão, Paulo Cunha, emphasised this, praising the collaboration with the Portuguese Writers' Association. The mayor also pointed out that the aim of the Camilo Castelo Branco Short Story Prize is "at the same time to stimulate writing, to highlight and help writers in Portuguese, but also to perpetuate the life and work of Camilo Castelo Branco". The mayor mentioned that the municipality has supported culture and literary creation, but that "more projects for the promotion of writing and reading are necessary. Our aim is, from Famalicão, to give a signal to the country of what can and should be done to promote culture, and particularly writing".
In turn, the vice-president of APE, Isabel Mateus, valued the example given by the Famalicão local authority in the promotion of writing. She said, "Bruno Vieira Amaral is a legitimate heir of Camilo Castelo Branco".
The president of the jury, José Cândido Martins, presented the writer's literary career since his first book "As primeiras Coisas", released in 2013. About the winning work "Uma Ida ao Motel e outras Histórias" José Cândido Martins said it is "a remarkable work in several ways, which not only shows the enormous literary capacity of its author, following a widely recognised work, but also proves to be a work worthy of the patron who gives name to this award, Camilo Castelo Branco".
"Uma Ida ao Motel e outras histórias", by Bruno Vieira Amaral is a collection of 30 tales previously published in Expresso Diário, and "is for grown-ups".
It should be noted that in the 29 editions of the award the writers Mário de Carvalho, Teresa Veiga, Maria Isabel Barreno, Maria Velho da Costa, Maria Judite de Carvalho, Miguel Miranda, Luísa Costa Gomes, José Jorge Letria, José Eduardo Agualusa, José Viale Moutinho, António Mega Ferreira, Teolinda Gersão, Urbano Tavares Rodrigues, Manuel Jorge Marmelo, Paulo Kellerman, Gonçalo M. Tavares, Ondjaki, Afonso Cruz, A.M. Pires Cabral, Eduardo Palaio, Hélia Correia, Ana Margarida de Carvalho, Francisco Duarte Mangas and Bruno Vieira Amaral.