José Saramago

José Saramago was a Portuguese writer and Nobel laureate in literature whose works convey themes of social responsibility and individuals needing to take up their own roles in creating a world of compassion and justice. Saramago is widely known for his novels, short stories, and essays, which often display his wit and irony.

Born in 1922, José Saramago was raised in a small rural village in southern Portugal. Growing up, he was determined to pursue education and become a writer, even amidst his family's poverty. In the 1940s, Saramago studied in Lisbon and became a journalist, working for both a newspaper and a broadcasting station. Although he self-published several books of poetry, his first novel, Sea of Fog, was published to much acclaim in 1982.

After Sea of Fog, Saramago went on to produce a number of acclaimed works, including his 1989 novel, The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis, and his 1998 novel, Blindness. With the former, Saramago tells a story set in Lisbon in 1936, during the rule of the fascist Salazar regime. The story follows the path of Ricardo Reis, a doctor and poet who visits Portugal after years of living in Brazil. With Blindness, true to his moralistic style, Saramago gives us a story of societal breakdown due to a sudden outbreak of blindness in a city, while also exploring how the experience of not being able to see can bring a greater mental clarity during a time of chaos.

Aside from novels and poems, Saramago was also a noted essayist and public speaker. In 1988, he was invited to address the United Nations delegates at the International Human Rights Year. During his speech, Saramago implored for the limitation of arms in the world. In 1996, Saramago was asked to deliver a series of lectures in Canada, the most famous of which is titled “Human Rights, War, and Culture”. In it, he discusses the importance of facing reality and having the courage to create a better world.

In 1998, Saramago was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature “for an imagi¬native and dis turbing commentary on life in an unidentified urban setting.” In his acceptance speech, he focused on the struggle between oppression and freedom, warning that even in this day and age, fascism can exist in more than one form.

After winning the Nobel Prize, Saramago continued to write prolifically. He published a new novel, The Cave, in 2002, and in 2009, he published a novella titled Death with Interruptions. While his earlier works had carried more somber tones, The Cave and Death with Interruptions are marked by a calmness and optimism. In both of these works, Saramago uses fictional elements such as underground worlds and government-ordered stops to death to explore the clash between art and authority.

Until his death in 2010, José Saramago never stopped expressing his views on the ills of the world, particularly those related to oppression and the lack of human rights. With his work, Saramago hoped to inspire people to act in order to bring about a better world, and it is for this reason that even today his works continue to be relevant and thought-provoking.