Herberto Helder

Born in Funchal (Madeira Island) in 1930. After having abandoned both his Law and Romanic Philology studies, he worked in various areas, traveled extensively throughout Europe, and lived in Angola. As a poet, he has transformed the act of translating into a fundamental and complementary exercise of his work, giving a new dimension to both activities.

He was closely linked to the vanguards, but his momentum in Portuguese literature achieves however a greater freedom by the singular poetic world he creates, which makes him one of the most important names in the contemporary literary history. In spite of his brilliant trajectory, the author has stepped back from the limelight, refusing interviews, awards and the participation in literary events, dedicating himself exclusively to his work. Herberto Helder has been awarded with several prizes, like the 1999 Pessoa prize, that he has refused.

(Source: Poetry International Web)