“Where Islands Speak Through Art – From the Heart of the Azores to the Diaspora”

Glacial

Arts and literature supplement published in the newspaper A União, in Angra do Heroísmo, beginning on July 15, 1967. The movement that grew up around it gave rise to what became known as the “glacial generation” or “glacial and colonial war literature.” The supplement was edited by Carlos Faria and, after 1972, by a collective editorial board consisting of José Henrique Santos Barros, Ivone Chinita, and David Mestre (Angola). It was driven by a group of young people born in the 1940s, who were joined by some from the 1950s. They lived through the colonial war and, over the years, were influenced by Marxist and other revolutionary readings. In general, they challenged political power before and after April 25 and became a driving force in Azorean culture. From Angra, the supplement quickly gained the collaboration of writers, poets, painters, and intellectuals from other islands, the mainland, and also Africa, through David Mestre. In addition to well-known names, its pages included texts by young writers who later made a name for themselves. According to João de Melo (1982: 77), “the existence of Glacial must be taken in its entirety: 1st ? it produces a considerable broadening of meaning in the redefinition of the entire cultural objective; 2o ? it brings together the collective subject of this production, designating a certain trajectory, which is established from the solitary to the solidary; 3o ? it brings together different age and conceptual generations, distributing between them a space of perfect symmetry: the so-called established names always alternated with the younger ones, without ever privileging some to the detriment of others.”

A total of 108 issues were printed until June 1973, when the Church, which owned the newspaper, removed Father Cunha de Oliveira from its management, known for his more progressive ideas. The supplement’s coordinating team showed solidarity with the newspaper’s director. Still, it resumed the project by publishing a new series of four photocopied issues between February and April 1974, coordinated by Carlos Faria, Santos Barros, David Mestre, and, later, Ivone Chinita. However, the Glacial movement went further, also beginning to publish some books under the Gávea/Glacial imprint from 1970 onwards, at a time when the publishing movement in the islands was practically non-existent. The collection included well-known names such as Emanuel Félix and Dias de Melo, but also young writers such as Ivone Chinita, Rui Rodrigues, Santos Barros, and António José Cunha. The activity of this generation continued with exhibitions, the founding of the Cooperativa Sextante, which was closed down by the PIDE, recitals, theater, and film cycles. 

Carlos Enes

Bibl. Melo, J. (1978). Antologia panorâmica do conto açoriano. Lisbon, Editorial Vega: 24-25. Id. (1982), Toda e qualquer escrita. Lisbon, Editorial Vega: 76-78.

Translated by Diniz Borges

From: Enciclopédia Açoriana-Direção Regional da Cultura.

Mission Statement:

“In the Silence of Hydrangeas: Azorean Arts and Letters” is a weekly digital rubric under the Filamentos platform that seeks to illuminate the cultural, artistic, and literary richness of the Azores and its dynamic connection to the Azorean Diaspora. Each week, we highlight writers, poets, musicians, painters, sculptors, theater groups, and cultural movements that have emerged from or been inspired by this Atlantic archipelago. Our mission is to move beyond folkloric clichés and festive portrayals to reveal the profound creative spirit, complexity, and heritage that shape Azorean identity across generations and oceans.

Vision Statement:

We envision a living archive and vibrant stage where the voices, visions, and legacies of Azorean creators—on the islands and throughout the diaspora—are celebrated, preserved, and made accessible to global audiences. This rubric aims to educate, connect, and inspire by showcasing the Azores not as a distant, nostalgic memory, but as a creative force in continuous dialogue with the world. To know the Azores is not merely to attend a festa, but to listen to the poems etched in basalt, the canvases dyed in sea-light, and the stories whispered in the silence of hydrangeas.

Unveiling the Soul of the Azores – One Voice, One Creation at a Time