Selected Poems of Corsino Fortes

Concerned with giving voice to Cape Verdean life, Fortes writes in Cape Verdean Creole - and not just standard Portuguese - a powerful statement reinforcing the islands' distinctive African nature. However, his poems are often written from the perspective of an exile - and themes of exile and redemptive return recur in his work. This collection introduces English readers to Fortes, and the poet's beautiful and unique use of language.

Corsino Fortes is a poet and a diplomat. Born on the Cape Verdean island of São Vicente in 1933, his early work appeared in Claridade (Clarity), a journal that defined Cape Verdean literary identity from the later 1930s to 1960. Fortes' first full poetry collection Pao & Fonema (Bread & Phoneme) was published in 1974. The poet's use of Cape Verdean Creole - and not just standard Portuguese - is a powerful statement reinforcing the idea of the islands' distinctive African nature. Fortes studied in Portugal and spent much of his life abroad on diplomatic service - most notably in Angola and Lisbon.