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Agustina Bessa-Luís

アグスティナ・ベッサ＝ルイス

Agustina Bessa-Luís

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1922-10-15 （Vila Meã (Amarante), Portugal）
Died
2019-06-03 （Porto, Portugal） age 96
Nationality
Portugal
Languages
Portuguese
Residence History
Vila Meã (birthplace) → Porto (long-term residence, professional) → Lisbon (theatre and cultural activities)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Novelist, Playwright
Active Years
1954-2019

Awards

Camões Prize
2004
Organization: Instituto Camões (and related bodies)
Result: 受賞
Order of Saint James of the Sword (GOSE)
Organization: Portuguese Republic
Result: 受章

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

A Sibila

1954 Novel

One of her early notable novels focusing on deep psychological portraits and the inner life of women.

psychologyinner life of women
Translations
  • A Sibila

A Muralha

1957 Novel

A long novel that portrays characters' fates against the backdrop of regional society and history.

historycommunity
Translations
  • A Muralha

Fanny Owen

1979 Novel

A novel depicting the intersection of individual lives and their era. Adapted to film by Manoel de Oliveira as 'Francisca'.

personal historysociety
Adaptations
  • [Film] Francisca / Manoel de Oliveira (1981)
Translations
  • Fanny Owen

Vale Abraão (Abraham's Valley)

1991 Novel

A long novel about relationships, desire and fate. Adapted to film by Manoel de Oliveira.

desirefatefamily
Adaptations
  • [Film] Vale Abraão (Abraham's Valley) / Manoel de Oliveira (1993)
Translations
  • Abraham's Valley

As Terras do Risco (The Lands of Risk)

1994 Novel

Examines life's uncertainties and moral conflicts. One of the sources adapted by Manoel de Oliveira for 'The Convent'.

uncertaintymoralityfate
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Convent / Manoel de Oliveira (1995)
Translations
  • The Lands of Risk

A Corte do Norte

1987 Novel

A work where history and personal memory intertwine. Adapted as a film of the same name by João Botelho.

memoryhistoryfamily
Adaptations
  • [Film] A Corte do Norte / João Botelho (2009)
Translations
  • A Corte do Norte

Bibliography

  • A Sibila (1954)
  • Os Incuráveis (1956)
  • A Muralha (1957)
  • O Susto (1958)
  • Ternos Guerreiros (1960)
  • O Manto (1961)
  • As Relações Humanas I–III (1964–1966)
  • A Bíblia dos Pobres I–II (1967–1970)
  • As Pessoas Felizes (1975)
  • Fanny Owen (1979)
  • O Mosteiro (1980)
  • A Corte do Norte (1987)
  • Vale Abraão (1991)
  • As Terras do Risco (1994)
  • A Ronda da Noite (2006)

Adaptations

  • 'Fanny Owen' → film 'Francisca' (dir. Manoel de Oliveira, 1981)
  • 'Vale Abraão (Abraham's Valley)' → film (dir. Manoel de Oliveira, 1993)
  • 'As Terras do Risco' → film 'The Convent' (dir. Manoel de Oliveira, 1995)
  • 'A Corte do Norte' → film (dir. João Botelho, 2009)

Translations of Works

  • Vale Abraão — 'Abraham's Valley' (English title: Abraham's Valley)
  • Fanny Owen — 'Fanny Owen' (English title: Fanny Owen / source for 'Francisca')

Style & Themes

Literary Style
deep psychological descriptionmulti-layered, overlapping narrative styleintersection of history and personal memory
Recurring Motifs
family and kinshipmemory and the pastreligion and moralityfemale subjectivity

Legacy

One of the leading Portuguese writers from the late 20th to early 21st century. Praised for her extensive novels and deep psychological portrayals; recipient of the Camões Prize and subject of multiple film adaptations, gaining international attention.

Archives

  • Collections at the National Library of Portugal (Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal)

In Popular Culture

  • Became widely known through film adaptations by Manoel de Oliveira and João Botelho.

Trivia

  • She served as director of the daily O Primeiro de Janeiro from 1986 to 1987.
  • She was director of the D. Maria II National Theatre in Lisbon from 1990 to 1993.
  • Several of her works were adapted into films by directors such as Manoel de Oliveira.