Each day, a page. Each page, a moon. Each moon, Álamo.
Picture of Álamo Oliveira and Katharine F. Baker in Angra in 2014 (Photo by John Baker)
TWO NOTES OF CONDOLENCE ON THE DEATH OF ÁLAMO OLIVEIRA
7 JULY 2025
Translated by Katharine F. Baker
University of the Azores
The University of the Azores expresses its deepest condolences on the passing of Álamo de Oliveira, an unmatched figure in Azorean culture, on July 6, 2025.
A native of the island of Terceira, Álamo de Oliveira excelled over the decades as a writer, poet, playwright and cultural driving force. His works, marked by his deep roots in the identity and memory of the Azores, constitute a literary patrimony of inestimable value that transcends geographical and temporal borders. With more than forty published titles and a range of national and international honors, Álamo de Oliveira was acclaimed as one of the most authentic voices of Azorean identity; he was also a tireless promoter of theater through the Alpendre Group, which he founded in 1976.
The University of the Azores recognizes with gratitude and admiration Álamo de Oliveira’s remarkable contributions to the enrichment of Azorean thought, arts and cultural identity. His loss represents an occasion of mourning for the archipelago’s culture and for all who dedicate themselves to literature and the arts.
We extend our sincerest condolences to his family and friends.
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Biblioteca Pública e Arquivo Regional Luís da Silva Ribeiro. Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira
(Angra Public Library and Regional Archives)
Álamo Oliveira, a builder of Azorean culture and literature, has passed away
Writer Álamo Oliveira (1945-2025), a native of the village of Raminho, Terceira — one of the most iconic authors in Azorean literature and culture — has passed away. With his body of work that explores different literary genres with skill, creativity and depth, he reflected the soul of his island and of the Azores. For Álamo, “writing about an island was the best way to love it” (Caderno de Letras, 2021, p. 138).
In his honor, BPARLSR offers some reading suggestions: His novel Já Não Gosto de Chocolates, also translated and published in English and Japanese; the novel Até Hoje: Memórias de Cão, now in its 3rd edition, which received the Maré Viva prize from the Seixal City Council in 1985; and, Caderno de Letras, Poemas Vadios, and Palco de Textos (I), among others.
Reading must surely be one of the most worthy tributes that a writer can be paid, because through reading that the author’s thinking and ideas will continue to echo and inspire new generations of writers, readers and all the supporters of culture who contribute to the affirmation of Azorean culture and literature.
Filamentos thanks Katharine F. Baker for all of her work on these and other translations.
Below is a look at Álamo Oliveira’s work, which was done through AI, under the coordination of Commander Jorge Bettencourt.
Filamentos (artes e letras) 