Luís de Sttau Monteiro
Encyclopedia
Luís Infante de Lacerda Sttau Monteiro (April 3, 1926 in Lisbon
, Portugal
– July 23, 1993 in the same city) was a Portuguese
writer, novelist and playwright, a man to whom "the only sacred thing was to be free as the wind".
, accompanying his father, who was, at the time, the Portuguese ambassador in England
. Later, he returns to Portugal
in 1943, after his father's removal from his position by Salazar
.
He then graduates in Law from Lisbon University and works as a lawyer for a short period of time. Subsequently, he returns to London
and becomes a Formula 2
driver.
After a while, and back in Portugal
, he works in the magazine "Almanaque" and the "A Mosca" supplement of the Diário de Lisboa. In 1968, he is arrested by PIDE (Portuguese Politic Police) after publishing the plays "A Guerra Santa" and "A Estátua", satires that criticized the Portuguese dictatorship and the colonial war.
In the seventies, he collaborates as a journalist with Portuguese newspapers such as Diário de Notícias
and Expresso
.
A day after his death, Mário Santos wrote in the newspaper Público
:
"Playwright, publicist, chronicler, fisherman, gourmet, sailor and frustrated race car driver, Luís de Sttau Monteiro was, above all, a bon vivant. He died yesterday (23.07.1993) in Lisbon, at 67, maintaining a very
unflattering vision of Portugal."
" generation of English writers.
In 1961 he published "Felizmente há Luar!", a play that won the Portuguese Writers’ Society Great Prize of Theater in 1962. The play, a severe portrait of the Portuguese social and political society of that time, was forbidden by censorship and would only come to stage in 1978, under the artistic direction of Sttau Monteiro himself.
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
– July 23, 1993 in the same city) was a Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
writer, novelist and playwright, a man to whom "the only sacred thing was to be free as the wind".
Biographical overview
When he was ten years old he went to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, accompanying his father, who was, at the time, the Portuguese ambassador in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Later, he returns to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in 1943, after his father's removal from his position by Salazar
António de Oliveira Salazar
António de Oliveira Salazar, GColIH, GCTE, GCSE served as the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1932 to 1968. He also served as acting President of the Republic briefly in 1951. He founded and led the Estado Novo , the authoritarian, right-wing government that presided over and controlled Portugal...
.
He then graduates in Law from Lisbon University and works as a lawyer for a short period of time. Subsequently, he returns to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and becomes a Formula 2
Formula Two
Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...
driver.
After a while, and back in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, he works in the magazine "Almanaque" and the "A Mosca" supplement of the Diário de Lisboa. In 1968, he is arrested by PIDE (Portuguese Politic Police) after publishing the plays "A Guerra Santa" and "A Estátua", satires that criticized the Portuguese dictatorship and the colonial war.
In the seventies, he collaborates as a journalist with Portuguese newspapers such as Diário de Notícias
Diário de Notícias
Diário de Notícias is a Portuguese daily newspaper, founded in Lisbon, on December 29, 1864 by Tomás Quintino Antunes and Eduardo Coelho. It gradually became one of the best known Portuguese newspapers...
and Expresso
Expresso
Expresso is a common misspelling of the word espresso. The term with an X may also refer to:* eXpresso, a hosted workspace for Microsoft Office communities* Expresso , the flagship publication of the Group IMPRESA...
.
A day after his death, Mário Santos wrote in the newspaper Público
Público
Público is a Portuguese daily national newspaper.It began publication on March 5, 1990. The newspaper is known as a publication of the French school, with extensive texts and few illustrations...
:
"Playwright, publicist, chronicler, fisherman, gourmet, sailor and frustrated race car driver, Luís de Sttau Monteiro was, above all, a bon vivant. He died yesterday (23.07.1993) in Lisbon, at 67, maintaining a very
unflattering vision of Portugal."
Literary works
Despite being famous for his theater plays, Sttau Monteiro started his writing career in 1960 with the book "Um Homem não Chora", followed by the public and critic acclaimed "Angústia para o Jantar" (1961), book that showed a large influence of the "angry young menAngry young men
The "angry young men" were a group of mostly working and middle class British playwrights and novelists who became prominent in the 1950s. The group's leading members included John Osborne and Kingsley Amis.The phrase was originally coined by the Royal Court Theatre's press officer to promote John...
" generation of English writers.
In 1961 he published "Felizmente há Luar!", a play that won the Portuguese Writers’ Society Great Prize of Theater in 1962. The play, a severe portrait of the Portuguese social and political society of that time, was forbidden by censorship and would only come to stage in 1978, under the artistic direction of Sttau Monteiro himself.