António Torrado: Portugal ⋆ Author

António Torrado, born in Libson in 1939, has become one of Portugal's most prolific and acclaimed authors of children's literature. With more than 140 books written for children and young adults, Torrado also is involved with a variety of projects that seek to promote the power of the written word in young lives. Torrado first earned a degree in Philosophy before turning to children's literature, which is why his writing often addresses elevated topics and intellectual themes, without ever losing sight of his ultimate goal: to inspire the imaginations of children around the world.

Of his numerous titles, Torrado has tackled social injustice and the idea of human triviality with a balance of humor, irony, tenderness and affection. Although Torrado deals mostly in short stories, his works range from narrative to dramatic and even lyrical, with the occasional production of poetry, plays, and screenplays. He has also been known to recreate folk tales and nursery rhymes, with an obvious knowledge of what inspires a child's imagination. Torrado uses his craft as a medium to convey a message of free speech and respect while still engaging his target audience. He has been labeled both an "architect of the world" and "a creator like no other."

The number of awards and acclamations Torrado has received throughout his career is a testament to his immense success as a children's author. He has won the Gulbenkien Grand Award for Children and Young Peoples Literature in 1984, as well as the Sao Paulo Association of Art Critics Award in 1994. His story O mercador de coisa nenhuma was included in the White Ravens Catalogue of the International Youth Library in Munich, and another of his works, O veado florido, landed him on the IBBY honor list in 2000.

Along with his obvious talent for writing children's stories, Torrado has branched out into coordinating numerous organizations, playwriting, and even teaching. Torrado is a pioneer in the Portugese Modern School movement, as he has taught children's literature, as well as provided training for nursery school teachers in Libson from 1973-1974. Torrado is currently the coordinator of an annual course in poetic and narrative expression at the Children's Art Center of the Calouste Gulbenkien Foundation, and is the resident playwright at the Comuna Theatre Company in Libson.