Literature and Journalism in Portugal: The Major Contribution of Eça de Queirós

Abstract

Using a cultural and transnational history approach, this paper aims to situate the origins of Portuguese journalism from 1865–1900 in a much broader set of literary practices. To understand the relationship between literature and journalism, it follows the trajectory of the novelist Eça de Queirós, an intellectual who had a keen perception of the historical context in which he lived (1845–1900). The fact that he lived abroad during most of his active life, working in consular posts (Havana, Newcastle, Bristol and Paris), enabled him to have access to the foreign press and gave him a clear perception of the different cultural geographies of Europe at the end of the 19th century. Although this reading is only based on the perspective of one writer, the article argues, nevertheless, that Queirós’ fictional and non-fictional writings offer us a renewed perspective on transnational literary journalism in the context of the emergence of mass culture.