Guest of the ilb 2001
Alice Vieira was born in Lisbon in 1943, and studied English and German. From 1975 to 1989 she worked as an editor for the Lisbon daily newspaper 'Díario de Notícias'. She was also responsible for its weekly children’s supplement. Her first short story, 'Rosa, Minha Irmã Rosa', was published in 1979 and won the Prémio de Literatura Infantil Ano Internacional da Criança. In the story, ten year old Mariana is confronted with the birth of her sister Rosa and realizes that this tiny being will dominate family life from now on. But isn’t it also nice to be the eldest? Just as her dead grand-mother Lídia used to do, Mariana begins to tell Rosa stories.
The main characters in Vieira’s books are often seeking answers to problems such as loneliness and identity crises, as are the majority of her young readers. "People who don’t use words turn dumb", Grandmother Rosário tells young Melinda in 'Flor de Mel' (1986). Storytelling and using their imagination enable the characters to come to terms with their problems. "I don’t write happy endings but I approach life from its best side. My books always finish on an optimistic note, without covering up or forgetting the problems we experience", says Vieira.
Vieira has devoted herself entirely to literature for several years now. She has published more than 30 books for children and young people, including novellas, plays, short stories and an anthology of folk poetry. Her newspaper articles, which address an adult reader-ship, have also helped to establish her reputation.
Vieira’s books have been translated into many European languages. She is one of the top writers of youth literature in her country and has received the most important Portuguese literature prizes, including the Grande Prémio Calouste Gulbenkian de Literatura para Crianças (1994) for her contribution to children’s and youth literature.
Her story 'Os Olhos de Ana Marta' made the IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) Honour List in 1994. The German edition of this story was shortlisted for the Deutscher Jugenditeraturpreis.
In 1996 and 1998 the Portuguese IBBY nominated her for the Hans Christian Andersen Prize.
© international literature festival berlin | 
