Of the more than 300 works analysed, the competition jury unanimously decided to award the prize to ‘As Três Mortes de Lucas Andrade’ (Quetzal Editores, 2023), which marks Henrique Raposo's debut novel. "It's an honour that leaves me speechless. Camilo is my hero in literature, my favourite Portuguese writer, both in style and substance: he is the writer of physical and sentimental violence in the country of allegedly mild manners," says the author.

The jury, made up of Sérgio Guimarães de Sousa, Scientific Coordinator of the Casa-Museu de Camilo, Maria de Jesus Cabral, from the University of Aveiro, and André Corrêa de Sá, from the University of California, speaks of "a raw, sensorial and deeply human novel, where literature is assumed as a space for confrontation and listening". The judging panel speaks of a work that stands out "for its aesthetic courage, emotional density and ethical strength. A necessary novel and a voice that deserves to be highlighted."

‘The Three Deaths of Lucas Andrade’ is the saga of a suicidal man who lives in constant conflict with the masculine codes of poverty. The work is set in the second half of the 20th century and portrays migrations from the countryside to the city, the clashes between the city, the outskirts, and the birth of the suburbs of the 60s and 70s. 

It's worth remembering that the Camilo Castelo Branco Literary Prize, with a cash prize of 7500 euros, is a biennial competition organised and sponsored by the Municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão. It aims to promote literary creation in the Portuguese language and is aimed at Portuguese-speaking writers. Its launch was part of the celebrations for the bicentenary of the birth of the novelist Camilo Castelo Branco. 

In his presentation, the Scientific Coordinator of Casa de Camilo, Sérgio Guimarães de Sousa, spoke of a prize ‘open to all forms of literary expression to evoke the versatility and diversity of Camilo's work’.