Forbes

The dstgroup is currently accepting applications for the seventh edition of the dstangola/Camões Literature Prize for Angola. According to the head of the group, José Teixeira, this initiative promotes authors, gives value to the Portuguese language and affirms the importance of culture as a pillar of national identity.

The dstgroup is known above all for its construction and engineering activities, but early on it set out to promote culture in its various forms in Portugal, as well as in the geographical areas where it is present. Through the vision and commitment of the chairperson of the board, José Teixeira, the Portuguese group has defined its brand signature as “building culture” through which it wants to be recognised as one of the main actors in the Portuguese cultural market. One of the examples of this commitment is the dstangola/Camões Literature Prize – created in 2019 by the group led by José Teixeira in partnership with the Camões Institute – the 7th edition of which is taking place until 31 August, and which this year is dedicated to poetry. Since the prize was created, names such as Pepetela, João Melo, Boaventura Cardoso and Jorge Arrimar have been honoured, and it has helped to raise the profile of Angolan literature. The award is worth 15,000 euros and is aimed at works published in Portuguese in 2023 and 2024 by Angolan authors, whether resident or non-resident.

In an interview with Forbes Portugal, the chairperson of the dstgroup explained why he invests in culture and literature. According to the business person, in Angola or Portugal or in any other geographical area, literature is the shortest and fastest route to freedom. "Without literature, knowledge is banished or restricted to the basics of life”, emphasised José Teixeira.

What is the dstgroup’s strategic motivation in investing in culture and literature, especially in Angola?

In Angola, Portugal or any other geographical area, literature is the shortest and fastest route to freedom. Without literature, knowledge is banished or restricted to the basics of life We agree with Victor Hugo on the importance of knowledge: the deprivation of knowledge is more damaging to humanity than misery. Through literature and poetry, “everything can be something else”. We can feel and see what was not visible. In literature and works of literature, there are characters and social and psychological environments that real life does not portray. Real life embarrasses dreams, stifles hope and limits desires to marketable things. In literature, everything is possible. When reading a novel or a poem, each reader builds their character on top of the author’s character and sees the landscape described through the eyes of someone who sees it through their own unique and non-transferable eyes. We need literature in our work because we need to reach the threshold of the impossible. We need poetry because we know that there is no such thing as nothing, and there is always another possibility of starting from nothing, of starting again, of trying again, and overcoming the barrier that has denied us passage

Even in everyday work?

We need poetry because there are things that only poets understand, and we do not want things to be whole. We need literature to reach all the characters, all the workers who are with us in our daily labour. We need literature to communicate with our customers in a genuine and clear manner. We need comprehension and understanding and, without literature, the need is locked in a deep, unlit distressing void. We need literature because we like the hugs that are given and taken away in books. We need literature and poetry to lose our fear. We need the embraces of books to keep us from being alone. We need literature to promote reading, as through reading there is knowledge and, through knowledge, there is freedom. We need books, poetry and literature because we need to breathe without auxiliary mechanisms instructing us how to think. We need metaphors and parables to simplify understanding. We need literature to be sure that we own what we think.

How does the Literature Prize fit into the dstgroup’s global vision of social responsibility and patronage?

Our brand signature – building culture –defines our organisational culture and our strategic positioning. This is because culture is not just a reductionist expression of a people, of a way of acting and being. Culture is that people, culture is identity, where culture is under constant construction. It is not easy to define a soul or to listen to what our heart says, but in this group we are what we do: a building culture that constructs culture. We have therefore developed this strong connection with and promotion of the arts and culture because we believe that this is where our value proposition lies, the formula for our competitiveness. We argue that the economy must increasingly talk about culture, because culture is the fundamental basis of creativity and imagination, which are essential for the productivity and competitiveness of any sector. This applies to Portugal as well as Angola, of course, since our company dstangola has been based in Luanda for a number of years.

Which makes it more important..

That is why we have always attached such great importance to it, and in addition to our internal work with our employees, we also leave our mark on the community in which we operate. We are, therefore, a cultural patron par excellence, and support for Culture and Art is an inseparable part of our genetic code. In this context, we would highlight the promotion of the “dst Grand Prize for Literature”, which has existed in Portugal for 30 years, and the “dstangola/Camões Literature Prize”, for Angola, in existence since 2019. These initiatives are in addition to many others that support and encourage art, culture and social responsibility within the group and the community around us. More than honouring books, the dstangola/Camões Literature Prize projects authors, valorises the Portuguese language and affirms the importance of culture as a pillar of national identity. The award is thus a symbol of our cultural commitment in Angola, which is now in its seventh edition.

That commitment does not end with the Prize...

An example of this commitment is also the dstangola reading room, created at the Portuguese Cultural Centre in Luanda, consisting of thousands of books that we have offered, in an ongoing investment of over 30,000 euros. Last year, we also supported the publication of the book “History of Angola: from Prehistory to the beginning of the 21st Century” by Alberto Oliveira Pinto. We are interested in history. We are interested in the past, the past does go away. Education, particularly primary education, has to include history. The history of Angola is extremely rich and Angola existed in its plenitude before the Portuguese arrived. With this publication we are helping the History of Angola to reach Angola’s schools because this History of Angola shows Angola as a whole. As the exclusive patron of this book, we received 325 copies of the print run for Portugal, 225 of which were donated to the National Network of Portuguese Public Libraries, and 690 copies of the print run in Angola, all of which were donated to the Angolan Ministry of Culture.

How do you measure the cultural and reputational impact of this award on the dstgroup’s positioning in Angola and other PALOP countries?

Since 2019, our dstangola/Camões Literature Prize has established itself as a major cultural initiative in Angola. The cultural impact is measured primarily by the growing participation of writers, which has increased year on year, but also by the quality of the works submitted and, above all, by the visibility and public recognition that the prize has given to contemporary Angolan literature. Through this award and the initiatives mentioned above, we have managed to establish ourselves as an active agent in cultural development and in valuing the Lusophone space, reinforcing our commitment to social responsibility and the promotion of Angolan culture and literature.

Why was poetry chosen as the focus of the 2025 edition?

The award rotates, honouring works published in the previous two years, prose one year and poetry the next. As the sixth edition was dedicated to works of prose published in 2022 and 2023, this seventh edition is dedicated to works of poetry published in 2023 and 2024. The aim is to emphasise both types of literature.

Does the dstgroup have any involvement in the selection process or is it left entirely to the independent jury?

The process of evaluating all the candidates and selecting the winning work is exclusively the responsibility of an independent jury of reference made up of José Mena Abrantes (head of the jury), Amélia da Lomba and David Capelenguela. We are not involved in the process.

Are there any plans to expand the prize, for example with new literary categories or Lusophone authors from other countries?

At the moment, there are no plans to change the format of the prize, which is only intended to honour works of prose and poetry published in Portuguese by Angolan authors, whether resident or non-resident.

The prize awards 15,000 euros and you have already invested more than 30,000 euros in the reading room. Are there any other cultural projects underway or planned in Angola?

We are going to host the Contemporary Dance Company of Angola and this is a way of supporting culture from Angola.

How are cultural projects selected for support? Are there partnerships with other organisations to extend your reach?

Our purpose in supporting cultural projects is linked to our ambition to democratise access to culture, the arts and literature. Our aim is to contribute to arts literacy, because only in this way can we build a fairer and more competitive society. That is why all the projects we support are aligned with this value proposition. As regards partnerships with other entities, this depends on each project. The dstangola/Camões Literature Prize is promoted in partnership with the Camões Institute, for example.

Does the dstgroup intend to create similar projects in other countries where it operates?

That possibility is an open one. We are always on the lookout for new projects and new challenges.

What are the prospects for continuing and developing the dstangola/Camões Literature Prize in the coming years?

The perspectives are really good. Each year, with each edition, the number of applications has increased, which shows that the award is becoming more recognised in Angola. We believe that more and more Angolan authors are paying attention to our award and making applications for it, since we have an honourable prestigious jury, in addition to the works and authors of excellence that have been distinguished.

What role do you believe culture should play in the sustainable development of Angola? And what role does the dstgroup wish to play in this process?

We believe that culture is one of the fundamental pillars of sustainable development, but also for building a fairer and more competitive society, founded on the values of virtue, beauty and truth. Culture is the soul of a people – it is where their memory, their hope and their capacity to dream live. In Angola, where every gesture, every word and every artistic expression carries centuries of history and resistance, we believe that culture should be a vital force for transformation, capable of uniting communities, inspiring generations and building paths of dignity and freedom. Thus, we see ourselves as an agent for transformation with an active role in supporting projects that contribute to strengthening local cultural expressions, social inclusion and the creation of opportunities in communities. By promoting initiatives such as the dstangola/Camões Literature Prize, we wish to contribute towards helping to consolidate a dynamic cultural ecosystem that values Angolan talent and has a real and lasting impact on society, because we believe that a country that invests in its art and culture also invests in the dignity, freedom and future of its people.