Alda Neves da Graça do Espírito Santo (30 April 1926 – 9 March 2010[1]), known as Alda do Espírito Santo or Alda Graça, was a poet from São Tomé and Príncipe working in the Portuguese language. She also served in the Santomean government after the country's independence.[2]
She was born in São Tomé e Príncipe, the former Portuguese territory off the coast of West Africa, to João Graça do Espírito Santo and Maria de Jesus Agostinho das Neves. The family was prominent in São Tomé city. After primary school, she attended secondary school in Portugal. In 1948 Alda da Graça began studying in Lisbon to become a primary school teacher.[3]
Alda da Graça returned to São Tomé in January 1953. She worked as a teacher and continued to be active in nationalist circles. In December 1965 she was arrested and imprisoned for several months by the Portuguese authorities as a result of her identification with the African liberation movement.[2][4]
Since 1975, when São Tomé and Príncipe achieved independence from Portugal, she held several high offices in the government, including as Minister of Education and Culture, Minister of Information and Culture, President of the National Assembly, and General Secretary of the National Union of Writers and Artists of São Tomé and Príncipe.[2][5]
She was also the author of the lyrics to the national anthem, "Independência total". Her published work includes O Jorgal das Ilhas (1976) and O Nosso o Solo Sagrado de Terra (1978).[4] Her poem "The Same Side of the Canoe" (translated by Kathleen Weaver) is included in such anthologies as The Penguin Book of Women Poets (1987) and Daughters of Africa (1992).[4]
In 2006, she wrote a preface to Retalhes do massacre de Batepá, a book by Manuel Teles Neto Da Costa.
She died aged 83 in hospital in Luanda, Angola, on 10 March 2010, when five days of national mourning was declared by the government of São Tomé e Principe.[3][1][6]
Worksedit
O Jornal das Ilhas (1976)
O Nosso o Solo Sagrado de Terra (1978)
Mataram o rio da minha cidade (2003)
Cantos do solo sagrado (2006)
O coral das ilhas (Coral of the Islands) (2006)
Mensagens do solo sagrado (2006)
Mensagens do canto do Ossobó (Messages from the Songs of Ossobó) (2008)
Tempo universal' (Universal Time) (2008)
O relógio do tempo (The Clock of Time) (2008)
Referencesedit
^ ab. Saotomeblog.com. 16 March 2010. Archived from the original on 13 September 2010. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
^ abcdAkyeampong, Emmanuel Kwaku; Henry Louis Gates, eds. (2012). "Graça, Alda da". Dictionary of African Biography, Volume 6. OUP USA. pp. 500–501. ISBN9780195382075.
^ abDavid, Niyi. . Archived from the original on 16 October 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
^ abcMargaret Busby (ed.), "Alda do Espírito Santo", Daughters of Africa, London: Jonathan Cape, 1992, p. 326.
^"Alda Espírito Santo era a voz feminina de São Tomé e Príncipe". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 11 March 2010.
^. Téla Non (in Portuguese). 9 March 2010. Archived from the original on 1 June 2010.
Further readingedit
Russell G. Hamilton, Voices from an Empire: a history of Afro-Portuguese literature, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1975, pp. 370–73} ISBN0-8166-0745-1
Mario de Andrade, La poésie africaine d'expression portugaise: anthologie; précédée de Évolution et tendances actuelles, Paris: P.J. Oswald, 1969, p. 65
Eugène Tavares, Littératures lusophones des archipels atlantiques: Açores, Madère, Cap-Vert, São Tomé e Príncipe, Paris: L'Harmattan, 2009, p. 294, ISBN978-2-296-07575-7
External linksedit
, Alda Neves da Graça do Espírito Santo's obituary (in Portuguese), Téla Nón, 9 March 2010.
alda, neves, graça, espírito, santo, april, 1926, march, 2010, known, alda, espírito, santo, alda, graça, poet, from, são, tomé, príncipe, working, portuguese, language, also, served, santomean, government, after, country, independence, alda, espírito, santobo. Alda Neves da Graca do Espirito Santo 30 April 1926 9 March 2010 1 known as Alda do Espirito Santo or Alda Graca was a poet from Sao Tome and Principe working in the Portuguese language She also served in the Santomean government after the country s independence 2 Alda do Espirito SantoBornAlda Neves da Graca do Espirito Santo 1926 04 30 30 April 1926Sao Tome Sao Tome e PrincipeDied9 March 2010 2010 03 09 aged 83 Luanda AngolaOccupationPoetLanguagePortugueseContents 1 Life and career 2 Works 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksLife and career editShe was born in Sao Tome e Principe the former Portuguese territory off the coast of West Africa to Joao Graca do Espirito Santo and Maria de Jesus Agostinho das Neves The family was prominent in Sao Tome city After primary school she attended secondary school in Portugal In 1948 Alda da Graca began studying in Lisbon to become a primary school teacher 3 While in Lisbon Alda da Graca met students from other Portuguese colonies and joined a student association called the Casa dos Estudantes do Imperio In 1951 she founded Centro de Estudos Africanos with other students interested in nationalism including Mario Pinto de Andrade and Agostinho Neto of Angola Noemia de Sousa and Marcelino dos Santos of Mozambique and Amilcar Cabral of Guinea Bissau 2 Alda da Graca returned to Sao Tome in January 1953 She worked as a teacher and continued to be active in nationalist circles In December 1965 she was arrested and imprisoned for several months by the Portuguese authorities as a result of her identification with the African liberation movement 2 4 Since 1975 when Sao Tome and Principe achieved independence from Portugal she held several high offices in the government including as Minister of Education and Culture Minister of Information and Culture President of the National Assembly and General Secretary of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Sao Tome and Principe 2 5 She was also the author of the lyrics to the national anthem Independencia total Her published work includes O Jorgal das Ilhas 1976 and O Nosso o Solo Sagrado de Terra 1978 4 Her poem The Same Side of the Canoe translated by Kathleen Weaver is included in such anthologies as The Penguin Book of Women Poets 1987 and Daughters of Africa 1992 4 In 2006 she wrote a preface to Retalhes do massacre de Batepa a book by Manuel Teles Neto Da Costa She died aged 83 in hospital in Luanda Angola on 10 March 2010 when five days of national mourning was declared by the government of Sao Tome e Principe 3 1 6 Works editO Jornal das Ilhas 1976 O Nosso o Solo Sagrado de Terra 1978 Mataram o rio da minha cidade 2003 Cantos do solo sagrado 2006 O coral das ilhas Coral of the Islands 2006 Mensagens do solo sagrado 2006 Mensagens do canto do Ossobo Messages from the Songs of Ossobo 2008 Tempo universal Universal Time 2008 O relogio do tempo The Clock of Time 2008 References edit a b Alda Graca do Espirito Santo Katya Aragao s Special Tribute Saotomeblog com 16 March 2010 Archived from the original on 13 September 2010 Retrieved 8 March 2012 a b c d Akyeampong Emmanuel Kwaku Henry Louis Gates eds 2012 Graca Alda da Dictionary of African Biography Volume 6 OUP USA pp 500 501 ISBN 9780195382075 a b David Niyi City Icon Alda Neves da Graca do Espirito Santo Sao Tome Archived from the original on 16 October 2020 Retrieved 24 November 2016 a b c Margaret Busby ed Alda do Espirito Santo Daughters of Africa London Jonathan Cape 1992 p 326 Alda Espirito Santo era a voz feminina de Sao Tome e Principe Diario de Noticias in Portuguese 11 March 2010 Morreu Alda Graca do Espirito Santo Tela Non in Portuguese 9 March 2010 Archived from the original on 1 June 2010 Further reading editRussell G Hamilton Voices from an Empire a history of Afro Portuguese literature Minneapolis University of Minnesota Press 1975 pp 370 73 ISBN 0 8166 0745 1 Mario de Andrade La poesie africaine d expression portugaise anthologie precedee de Evolution et tendances actuelles Paris P J Oswald 1969 p 65 Eugene Tavares Litteratures lusophones des archipels atlantiques Acores Madere Cap Vert Sao Tome e Principe Paris L Harmattan 2009 p 294 ISBN 978 2 296 07575 7External links edit Morreu Alda Graca do Espirito Santo Alda Neves da Graca do Espirito Santo s obituary in Portuguese Tela Non 9 March 2010 Preceded byLeonel Mario d Alva President of the National Assembly Sao Tome and Principe1980 1991 Succeeded byLeonel Mario d Alva Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alda Neves da Graca do Espirito Santo amp oldid 1187796284, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
