The book is a compilation of Laura DaSilva’s love poems spanning the years 2004 to 2007.
Author bio
Laura DaSilva (Maria Cecília da Silva Fernandes Pedro) was born on the 5th November in Coimbra and completed her Secondary education there. In 1980 she went abroad in search of new horizons. She never lost her ties to the books which were her constant companion since childhood. Laura returned to Portugal in 1998, making her home in the town of Miranda do Corvo, in Coimbra.
Her publications (by Minerva Coimbra) include “Palavras soltas no olhar” in 2014, “Madrugada Fria” 1st Edition 2016, 2nd Edition 2017, as well as “Penumbra” in 2017. In 2019 she was awarded an Honourable Mention for the prose work “O regresso” (Prémio Literario Ana Castro Osório) organised by the Town Council of Mangualde. In 2019 her latest poetry collection Névoa em Luz was published by Minerva Coimbra. In 2022 she received an Honourable Mention for her prose work “No Esconderijo da Mente” from the Cultural Association of Alenquer in partnership with the Town Council of Alenquer. Laura continues to write both prose and poetry.
Translator bio
Derek Barretto was born on 6th October 1959 in Croydon, England. He won a silver medal in Elocution whilst at Primary school. and was awarded the Dom Gerrard Memorial Essay Prize at Secondary school. In 1988 he emigrated to Parede, in Portugal. In 1989 Derek completed the Certificado de Língua Portuguesa at Universidade de Lisboa ( Faculdade de Letras). In 1992 he returned to England to train as a teacher of English as a Foreign Language. Whilst training he worked as a Portuguese interpreter for Parkside NHS Trust. In 1992 his poem ‘The Party’ was commended in the Barnet Borough Arts Council Open Poetry Competition. In November 1994 he passed the Chartered Institute of Linguists Diploma in Translation (Portuguese to English). In 1995 his poem ‘Ode to 2 Miscarried Children’ was published in Anchor Poets from the South by Forward Press. In 2017 Derek won the Barnet Borough Times Poem of the Month for ‘Underneath the Arches’. In 2019 he won this again for ‘Ice Floes’. In 2021 he was translator in residence at the cottage, Dragon Hall, Norwich (National Centre for Writing). He has been a Member of ETN (Emerging Translators Network) for several years and is proud to be a member of PELTA ( Portuguese English Language Translators Association) since its inception in 2020/2021.
