A brand-new literary festival dedicated to celebrating literature by women is coming to Cascais. The inaugural edition of "Mulheres que Escrevem" (Women who Write) will take place on May 24th, taking over the Cidadela for a full Saturday of events, including guest author talks, writing workshops, live music, and book signings.
The initiative is a collaboration between local bookshop Not a Bookshop, Brazilian literary collective Amora Livros, the Vilarejo Reading Club, and Indie, an independent bookstore based in Cascais.
The programme kicks off with two roundtable discussions — the first bringing together Cláudia Lucas Chéu, Sara Rodi and Catarina Rodrigues; the second featuring Maria Francisca Gama, Paula Gicovate and Lorena Portela.
Later in the day, writer Maria Isaac will present her book As Histórias que nos Matam (The Stories That Kill Us), followed by a conversation with Lénia Rufino about Silêncio no Coração dos Pássaros (Silence in the Heart of Birds), and another with Mami Pereira, diving into Flashback e outras histórias (Flashback and Other Stories).
The "Mulheres que Escrevem" festival also features two themed writing workshops: one with Paula Gicovate on “writing love”, and another with author Nara Vidal focused on “writing memory”. The latter theme also takes centre stage in a dedicated panel conversation, with Nara Vidal joined by Isabela Figueiredo and Júlia Jalbut.
Festival-goers can also look forward to a collective book signing session, and a live concert by singer, actress, and performer Iria Braga, whose sound blends MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) with samba-jazz influences.
All events are free to attend, except for the workshops, which cost €40 and are limited to just 20 participants each. Full details are available on Indie, Not a Bookshop’s official page.
Avenida Dom Carlos, I, Cascais. 10.00-19.30. Free