José Saramago Biography

(Portuguese Writer and Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998)

Birthday: November 16, 1922 (Scorpio)

Born In: Azinhaga, Portugal

Jose Saramago was a Nobel-winning Portuguese novelist, journalist, translator, and playwright. Considered to be the most productive Portuguese-language novelist in the 20th century, success did not come easily to him. He was able to earn recognition only during his sixties after working rigorously for years. Even though he took up writing at an early age, his works didn’t really get appreciated, especially in Portugal. After taking up a variety of odd jobs to sustain his living, he switched to making a career in literature after the 1974 Carnation Revolution. Eventually, he published a series of novels, but it was his 1980 book ‘Raised from the Ground’ which brought him on the forefront in the literary world. And with the release of ‘Baltasar and Blimunda’ in 1982, he became an international novelist. Through his hard work, determination and wonderful imagination, he went on to become one of the finest Portuguese writers of his generation. His works were highly acclaimed and honored with several awards, including the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature, thereby making him the first Portuguese-language writer to receive this award. Some of his popular works include ‘The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis’, ‘The Gospel According to Jesus Christ’, ‘The Skylight’, ‘The Notes’, ‘Blindness’, and ‘The Elephant’s Journey’
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Quick Facts

Also Known As: José de Sousa Saramago

Died At Age: 87

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Ilda Reis, Isabel da Nóbrega, Pilar del Rio

father: José de Sousa

mother: Maria Da Piedade

siblings: Francisco de Sousa

children: Violante dos Reis Saramago

Nobel Laureates In Literature Novelists

Died on: June 18, 2010

place of death: Tías, Spain

Cause of Death: Leukemia

Ideology: Communists

Founder/Co-Founder: José Saramago Foundation

More Facts

awards: Nobel Prize in Literature - 1998
Camões Prize

  • 1

    What is the significance of the Blindness novel by José Saramago?

    The novel "Blindness" by José Saramago explores themes of societal breakdown, human resilience, and the fragility of civilization through the lens of a sudden epidemic of blindness that strikes a city.

  • 2

    How did José Saramago's background influence his writing style?

    José Saramago's background, including his childhood in a rural village and his experiences with political activism, heavily influenced his unique writing style characterized by long sentences, lack of traditional punctuation, and deep philosophical reflections.

  • 3

    What is the philosophical theme explored in José Saramago's novel "Seeing?"

    In the novel "Seeing" by José Saramago, the philosophical theme of the fragility of democracy is explored as the inhabitants of an unnamed city abstain from voting in an election, leading to a political crisis and a reflection on the nature of power.

  • 4

    How does José Saramago use allegory in his novel "The Gospel According to Jesus Christ?"

    In "The Gospel According to Jesus Christ" by José Saramago, the author uses allegory to challenge traditional religious narratives and explore the complexities of faith, morality, and the human experience through a reimagining of the life of Jesus Christ.

  • 5

    What is the role of historical events in José Saramago's novel "The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis?"

    In "The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis" by José Saramago, historical events and political upheaval in 1930s Portugal serve as a backdrop for exploring themes of identity, mortality, and existential reflection through the character of Ricardo Reis.

Childhood & Personal Life
Jose Saramago was born as Jose se Sousa Saramago on November 16, 1922, in Azinhaga village, Ribatejo Province, Portugal, into a family of poor peasants, to Jose de Sousa and Maria de Piedade.
His family relocated to Lisbon in 1924, where his father found employment as a police officer. His illiterate grandparents introduced him to folklore and fantasy, whom he spent his holidays with.
Since his family continued to face economic hardships continuously, he was shifted from a grammar school to a technical school when he was 12.
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Career
After completing his education, he took up various jobs, such as car mechanic, metalworker, translator, journalist, and assistant editor of a newspaper, before taking up writing full-time.
In 1947, he released his first novel, ‘Land of Sin’, which was originally titled ‘The Widow’ but changed by the publisher in the hope of making more business.
He went to write another novel ‘The Skylight’ but wasn’t published and penned a few pages of another one which was later canceled.
He became jobless in 1949 and found employment at a metal company. However, in late 1950, he took up the job of a production manager at a publishing company, ‘Estudios Cor’.
To further contribute to his family finances, he started translating in 1955, which he continued till 1981. Some of the popular writers he translated included Raymond Bayer, Jean Cassou, Tolstoi, Henri Focillon, and Par Lagerkvist.
For 19 years, he stayed away from writing and returned back to literature in 1966 by publishing his first collection of poems titled ‘The Possible Poems’.
In 1969, he became a member of Portugal’s Communist Party and remained associated with it for the rest of his life.
Subsequently, he released a series of works in the following years, namely, a poetry book ‘Probably Joy’ (1970) and two volumes of newspaper articles – ‘From this World and the Other’ (1971) and ‘The Traveller’s Baggage’ (1973).
He left ‘Estudios Cor’ in 1971 and joined the evening newspaper ‘Diario de Lisboa’ as an editor. After two years, he moved to morning daily ‘Diario de Noticias’ as a deputy director in 1974.
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In the wake of the Carnation Revolution of 1974, he was forced to leave the job, after which he switched to literature permanently. His two books – ‘The Year of 1993’ (1975) and ‘The Notes’ (1976) were inspired by this revolutionary process.
His 1980 novel ‘Raised from the Ground’ brought him into the limelight and got him recognition as a novelist. However, it was his 1982 novel ‘Baltasar and Blimunda’ that brought him international acclaim and catapulted his career.
He went to publish a number of successful works, such as ‘The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis’ (1984), ‘The Stone Raft’ (1986), and ‘The History of the Siege of Lisbon’ (1989).
In 1991, he published ‘The Gospel According to Jesus Christ’. However, the Portuguese conservative government banned its nomination for Aristeion Prize alleging that it offended the Catholic and Jewish communities.
Disappointed with the people’s response to his ‘The Gospel’, he left Lisbon and moved to Lanzarote, an island in the Canary Islands, Spain, into self-imposed symbolic exile with his wife.
Some of his other popular works were ‘Blindness’ (1995), ‘All the Names’ (1997), ‘The Double’ (2002), ‘Death with Interruptions’ (2005), ‘The Elephant’s Journey’ (2008), and ‘Cain’ (2009).
He established the European Writers’ Parliament (EWP), along with fellow Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk. However, he died before attending its opening ceremony in 2010.
Awards & Achievements
His novel ‘Raised from the Ground’ was awarded with the ‘City of Lisbon Prize’.
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He won the Portuguese PEN Club Award for his novel ‘Baltasar and Blimunda’.
His novel ‘The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis’ was honored with the Britain’s Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.
He received the Camoes Prize in 1995.
In 1998, he became the first ever Portuguese language writer to be honored with the prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature.
His ‘The Elephant’s Journey’ was shortlisted for Sao Paulo Prize for Literature under the ‘Best Book of the Year’ category, in 2009.
Personal Life & Legacy
In 1944, he married Ilda Reis, a typist with the Railway Company, with whom he had a daughter – Violante dos Reis Saramago in 1947. The relationship, however, broke after 26 years in 1970.
He met Pilar del Rio, a Spanish journalist, in 1986, and married her in 1988. Currently, she is responsible for translating his books into Spanish.
In order to inspire young budding writers, the biennial Premio Literario Jose Saramago (or Jose Saramago Literary Prize) was started in 1999.
He died on June 18, 2010, after suffering from leukemia, at the age of 87. His funeral was held in downtown Lisbon on June 20 and after two days of national mourning, his body was cremated at Alto de Sao Joao cemetery.
Half of his ashes were taken to his native village, Azinhaga, while the other half was placed under an olive tree at his home in Lanzarote, where he spent the last years of his life.
His novel ‘The Skylight’, written in the late 1940s, was published posthumously in 2012.
Facts About José Saramago

José Saramago was known for his unique writing style, which often included long, flowing sentences without traditional punctuation marks. This experimental approach to language set him apart from many other authors.

Saramago was a self-taught writer who did not achieve literary success until later in life, with his breakthrough novel "Baltasar and Blimunda" published when he was around 60 years old.

Saramago was an avid traveler and drew inspiration from different cultures and landscapes around the world, infusing his writing with a deep sense of place and atmosphere.

In addition to being a novelist, Saramago was also a talented poet, playwright, and journalist, showcasing his versatility and creativity across various literary genres.

See the events in life of José Saramago in Chronological Order

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