A book “about the human soul” that aims to inspire
"I felt the time had come." That's how Aveiro-based journalist Cláudia Azevedo justified the release of her first book of poetry, "As Margins of Life." She told Diário de Aveiro that her passion for writing has been a long time coming, but has remained a secret until now. Recent motherhood has unlocked fears and doubts and led her to acknowledge that "if we don't do what makes us happy, we don't live... we survive." The work is a combination of previously written poems and recent ones, but together they make sense, in a five-part structure, "as if they were chapters in this woman's life," adding that, while not autobiographical, "it has a lot of me and other women in it. I would say it's about the human soul." Surrendered to poetry, "which is always present in everything I write," even in prose, she justifies the title with the notion that "we've all been in a place that's neither central nor extreme. It's about this emotional place that the book speaks." She hopes readers will see themselves "in the character, whether as a mirror or as a shelter," and adds, "if someone feels touched, understood, or even challenged to look within, it's been worth it." According to Cláudia Azevedo, "The Margins of Life" addresses "things we've all felt: the fear of not knowing who we are, the desire to be loved, the pain of growing old, and the courage to start over. It's an emotional journey," she adds, adding that the work was written "with the heart, with truth. And I believe each reader will find a piece of themselves there." The author explains that she writes when she feels it, "when something disturbs me, hurts me, or lights me up inside. Often, writing arises as a necessity, almost like catharsis. I sit in silence and let the words flow. Sometimes they come in the form of poetry, sometimes in prose, but they always come charged with truth. To try to give form to what would otherwise weigh too heavily on me inside. I don't follow rules; I write when I need to breathe internally. Writing is my safe place, it's where I lose myself and, at the same time, find myself, and there are things I can only understand after writing them down," she acknowledges.
The book launch will take place on the 23rd, at 3:30 p.m., in the Auditorium of the Vagos Education and Recreation Center, with free admission. Regarding the session, she revealed that, in addition to the author's own presentation of the work, it will feature five "special" women reading poems—as many as there are chapters in the book.
Illustrations... the visual interpretation of poems
Inês Baptista is the author of the illustrations that add life, color, and meaning to the poems in the book "As Marquês da Vida." A challenge she readily accepted, especially since illustration and painting are integral to her life, and she had previously only illustrated prose books. She explained to Diário de Aveiro that she created an illustration for each of the five chapters. "First, I read the poems and created my own visual interpretation. It was a dive into the character's life, but also into my own, because I saw myself reflected in many of the experiences described." She added: "I believe the reader will find parallels" with their own truth, hence the choice of a faceless silhouette, "where everyone fits." The illustrations began as sketches on paper, finished with black pen, and then painted digitally. And now that the book is published and about to be released, he admits to being very pleased with the final result. "It's a relaxed read, imposing different rhythms on us, depending on each chapter. What I take away from this reading is, above all, a strong sense of liberation."
Book illustration is a challenge that Inês Baptista particularly enjoys, "especially the initial phase of interpreting thoughts and discovering how to convey them in images."
"I felt the time had come." That's how Aveiro-based journalist Cláudia Azevedo justified the release of her first book of poetry, "As Margins of Life." She told Diário de Aveiro that her passion for writing has been a long time coming, but has remained a secret until now. Recent motherhood has unlocked fears and doubts and led her to acknowledge that "if we don't do what makes us happy, we don't live... we survive." The work is a combination of previously written poems and recent ones, but together they make sense, in a five-part structure, "as if they were chapters in this woman's life," adding that, while not autobiographical, "it has a lot of me and other women in it. I would say it's about the human soul." Surrendered to poetry, "which is always present in everything I write," even in prose, she justifies the title with the notion that "we've all been in a place that's neither central nor extreme. It's about this emotional place that the book speaks." She hopes readers will see themselves "in the character, whether as a mirror or as a shelter," and adds, "if someone feels touched, understood, or even challenged to look within, it's been worth it." According to Cláudia Azevedo, "The Margins of Life" addresses "things we've all felt: the fear of not knowing who we are, the desire to be loved, the pain of growing old, and the courage to start over. It's an emotional journey," she adds, adding that the work was written "with the heart, with truth. And I believe each reader will find a piece of themselves there." The author explains that she writes when she feels it, "when something disturbs me, hurts me, or lights me up inside. Often, writing arises as a necessity, almost like catharsis. I sit in silence and let the words flow. Sometimes they come in the form of poetry, sometimes in prose, but they always come charged with truth. To try to give form to what would otherwise weigh too heavily on me inside. I don't follow rules; I write when I need to breathe internally. Writing is my safe place, it's where I lose myself and, at the same time, find myself, and there are things I can only understand after writing them down," she acknowledges.
The book launch will take place on the 23rd, at 3:30 p.m., in the Auditorium of the Vagos Education and Recreation Center, with free admission. Regarding the session, she revealed that, in addition to the author's own presentation of the work, it will feature five "special" women reading poems—as many as there are chapters in the book.
Illustrations... the visual interpretation of poems
Inês Baptista is the author of the illustrations that add life, color, and meaning to the poems in the book "As Marquês da Vida." A challenge she readily accepted, especially since illustration and painting are integral to her life, and she had previously only illustrated prose books. She explained to Diário de Aveiro that she created an illustration for each of the five chapters. "First, I read the poems and created my own visual interpretation. It was a dive into the character's life, but also into my own, because I saw myself reflected in many of the experiences described." She added: "I believe the reader will find parallels" with their own truth, hence the choice of a faceless silhouette, "where everyone fits." The illustrations began as sketches on paper, finished with black pen, and then painted digitally. And now that the book is published and about to be released, he admits to being very pleased with the final result. "It's a relaxed read, imposing different rhythms on us, depending on each chapter. What I take away from this reading is, above all, a strong sense of liberation."
Book illustration is a challenge that Inês Baptista particularly enjoys, "especially the initial phase of interpreting thoughts and discovering how to convey them in images."
"I felt the time had come." That's how Aveiro-based journalist Cláudia Azevedo justified the release of her first book of poetry, "As Margins of Life." She told Diário de Aveiro that her passion for writing has been a long time coming, but has remained a secret until now. Recent motherhood has unlocked fears and doubts and led her to acknowledge that "if we don't do what makes us happy, we don't live... we survive." The work is a combination of previously written poems and recent ones, but together they make sense, in a five-part structure, "as if they were chapters in this woman's life," adding that, while not autobiographical, "it has a lot of me and other women in it. I would say it's about the human soul." Surrendered to poetry, "which is always present in everything I write," even in prose, she justifies the title with the notion that "we've all been in a place that's neither central nor extreme. It's about this emotional place that the book speaks." She hopes readers will see themselves "in the character, whether as a mirror or as a shelter," and adds, "if someone feels touched, understood, or even challenged to look within, it's been worth it." According to Cláudia Azevedo, "The Margins of Life" addresses "things we've all felt: the fear of not knowing who we are, the desire to be loved, the pain of growing old, and the courage to start over. It's an emotional journey," she adds, adding that the work was written "with the heart, with truth. And I believe each reader will find a piece of themselves there." The author explains that she writes when she feels it, "when something disturbs me, hurts me, or lights me up inside. Often, writing arises as a necessity, almost like catharsis. I sit in silence and let the words flow. Sometimes they come in the form of poetry, sometimes in prose, but they always come charged with truth. To try to give form to what would otherwise weigh too heavily on me inside. I don't follow rules; I write when I need to breathe internally. Writing is my safe place, it's where I lose myself and, at the same time, find myself, and there are things I can only understand after writing them down," she acknowledges.
The book launch will take place on the 23rd, at 3:30 p.m., in the Auditorium of the Vagos Education and Recreation Center, with free admission. Regarding the session, she revealed that, in addition to the author's own presentation of the work, it will feature five "special" women reading poems—as many as there are chapters in the book.
Illustrations... the visual interpretation of poems
Inês Baptista is the author of the illustrations that add life, color, and meaning to the poems in the book "As Marquês da Vida." A challenge she readily accepted, especially since illustration and painting are integral to her life, and she had previously only illustrated prose books. She explained to Diário de Aveiro that she created an illustration for each of the five chapters. "First, I read the poems and created my own visual interpretation. It was a dive into the character's life, but also into my own, because I saw myself reflected in many of the experiences described." She added: "I believe the reader will find parallels" with their own truth, hence the choice of a faceless silhouette, "where everyone fits." The illustrations began as sketches on paper, finished with black pen, and then painted digitally. And now that the book is published and about to be released, he admits to being very pleased with the final result. "It's a relaxed read, imposing different rhythms on us, depending on each chapter. What I take away from this reading is, above all, a strong sense of liberation."
Book illustration is a challenge that Inês Baptista particularly enjoys, "especially the initial phase of interpreting thoughts and discovering how to convey them in images."
Diario de Aveiro
