2. While Portugal underwent a transformative shift following the Carnation Revolution of 1974, the remnants of its colonial past persist in cultural, social, and political domains. The session will address how contemporary Portugal continues to confront these unresolved legacies, particularly in relation to national identity and belonging. The panel’s exploration of literature, theatre, urban space, and migration offers a multifaceted perspective on how colonialism continues to shape, Portugal’s public and cultural life.
3. Postcolonial studies in the Lusophone world often focus on former colonies, overlooking how Portugal navigates its colonial past amid migration from Brazil and Africa. Building on scholars like Stuart Hall, Dionne Brand, Patrícia Ferraz de Matos or Elsa Peralta, this panel examines how communities confront histories of oppression. Each presentation explores Portugal’s reckoning with colonial legacies and their impact on its cultural, literary, and social landscapes.
4. The panel will be structured to allow for individual presentations followed by an open discussion. Each presenter will have 15 minutes to share their work, followed by a 15-minute discussion period at the end.
5. "Censorship, Colonialism, and Representation: Portuguese Theatre as a Space of Memory and Resistance" by Marta Ribeiro Figueiredo. This presentation examines how Portuguese theatre shaped national identity, from Estado Novo censorship that suppressed colonial critique to its post-revolutionary role as a space of resistance and representation for Afro-descendant and migrant communities. Relation to Session: This presentation connects to the broader theme of resistance and the ongoing struggle for representation in the face of historical erasure, offering insight into how theatre became a means of confronting colonial legacies.
"Decadence and National Identity in Ruben A.’s Caranguejo" by Paulo Rodrigues Ferreira. This presentation will analyze Ruben A.’s Caranguejo (1983), focusing on the novel’s portrayal of Portugal’s identity crisis in the aftermath of the Carnation Revolution. It will explore the broader societal fragmentation in post-revolutionary Portugal, where the legacies of the Estado Novo regime continue to exert influence. Ferreira will research how the novel presents a vision of Portugal trapped in a cycle of decline, unable to break free from its authoritarian past. Relation to Session: This presentation engages with Portugal’s struggles to reconcile with its authoritarian legacy, highlighting how literature serves as a powerful tool for critiquing national identity and reflecting on the colonial past.
"Haunting and Re-Mapping Black Presence in Lisbon" by Susana Ferreira
Ferreira will explore the practice of guided walking tours in Lisbon, particularly those led by Cape Verdean communities, which re-map and re-imagine the city’s history by focusing on the erased presence of Black communities. These tours challenge the historical amnesia surrounding the contributions of Afro-descendants and migrant communities, creating a new cartography of belonging in Lisbon. Relation to Session: This presentation emphasizes how communities reclaim physical space and challenge exclusionary narratives, offering a powerful example of how memory and history are remapped in postcolonial contexts.
"The Brazil in Portugal: Decentering the Lusophone Episteme" by Pedro Craveiro
Craveiro will discuss the role of Brazilian migration and cultural production in Portugal, examining how Brazil’s influence is reshaping the Lusophone world’s epistemological frameworks. As Brazil challenges Portugal’s historical dominance in the Lusophone world, Craveiro will explore how Brazil’s presence disrupts traditional power dynamics related to literature, language, identity, and knowledge production.Relation to Session: This presentation highlights the shift in power dynamics within the Lusophone world, illustrating how Brazil’s growing presence in Portugal challenges traditional notions of belonging and identity within the Portuguese-speaking community.
6. The panel features scholars from diverse backgrounds, with expertise in literature, theatre, migration, and cultural studies. Presenters come from a range of geographical and academic contexts, including the United States, Canada, Spain, and Portugal, offering a global perspective on the themes of colonialism, identity, and belonging, providing an interdisciplinary exploration of the continuing impact of colonialism on Portuguese national identity. Through literary studies, theatre studies, urban space, and migration, the presentations will examine how Portugal is re-negotiating its place in a postcolonial world and grappling with the challenges of belonging and historical memory.