For students on the Lusophone boat

Are you a Portuguese student at Cambridge? Have you survived an endless visa application? Are you somewhere in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Maputo, or Lisbon, wondering why you can't understand a word in Portuguese, the language you studied for two bloody years? Then this blog is for you. Share your pictures, videos, worries, insiders' tips on accommodation, working, studying, and travelling. And find out that you're not the only one misusing the subjunctive. Wherever you are, document what you're up to. In English or Portuguese, it doesn't matter. As long as you keep in touch!

Thursday 18 April 2013

Harvill Secker Young Translators’ Prize --- DEADLINE 2 AUGUST 2013


The Harvill Secker Young Translators’ Prize was launched in 2010 to recognise the achievements of young translators at the start of their careers. This year the language of focus will be Portuguese. The winner’s name will be announced in October 2013, and he or she will receive £1000 and a selection of Harvill Secker titles. The winner will also participate in the British Centre for Literary Translation mentorship scheme, working with Margaret Jull Costa, and he or she will take part in Crossing Border Festival in November 2013.

Entrants will be asked to translate the short story ‘O sucesso’ by Brazilian author Adriana Lisboa, and fellow judges will be author Naomi Alderman, translator Margaret Jull Costa and literary reviewer Ángel Gurría-Quintana. The prize is open to anyone between the ages of 18 and 34, with no restriction on country of residence, and the deadline for entries is 2nd August 2013.

The short story and details on how to enter are available here.

Monday 15 April 2013

Monday 11 March 2013

13 March - Welcoming Daniel Hahn

Daniel Hahn, José Eduardo Agualusa's English translator, will be visiting Cambridge this Wednesday, 13 March, to participate in two events which are open to all staff and students doing Portuguese. 

12noon (LB1) - Talk by Daniel Hahn on translating Nação Crioula
Daniel Hahn will be joining us to talk about his experience as translator of José Eduardo Agualusa's Nação Crioula: A Correspondência Secreta de Fradique Mendes into English.

3pm-5pm (RFB 142 - Media Centre) Translation Workshop, titled 'Translation as Practice'
Open to all students doing Portuguese at Cambridge. The workshop will be based on a short-story written by Agualusa (copies to be distributed on the day of the event).

 Click here to read an article penned by Daniel and published in the Guardian about the art and craft involved in translation.

 All are welcome!

Wednesday 16 January 2013

Promised Land in Mozambique

Here is an interesting interview by Corinna Jentzsch with photographer and filmmaker Gregor Ziekle about his film documenting the relocation of families in Tete to make way for the Brazilian company Vale's coal mine project. (Via Kathleen Sheldon)

Wednesday 5 December 2012

Saturday 1 December 2012

Africa for Sweden! Challenging views of Africa

Africans unite to save Norwegians from dying of frostbite. You too can donate your radiator and spread some warmth!

Thursday 29 November 2012

Portugal em tempos de crise - dossier do New York Times

Click here to have a look at New York Times' frightening portrait of some of the consequences of Portuguese austerity measures (photography + text).