Unknown Islands

Raul Brandao (1867-1930) was a Portuguese intellectual, writer, journalist, and military officer. His writing is characterized by the powerful realism of his literary descriptions and the moving lyricism of his language. Although he published in a variety of genres, his sensitive and sympathetic portrayal of the human condition remained the central theme of his work. David Brookshaw is professor emeritus at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. He has published widely in the field of Brazilian and Lusophone post-colonial studies. His translations include, most recently, Mia Couto's Woman of the Ashes (2018) and Carlos Morais José's The Archive of Confessions (2019). His translation of Mia Couto's A Espada e a Azagaia is due out in 2020.

"Raul Brandão’s beautifully crafted account of the social life and natural history of the Azores archipelago – is one of the greatest travelogues in the Portuguese language. Its crystalline realism and supple lyricism would have left Bruce Chatwin green with envy had he known it; David Brookshaw’s sensitive and nuanced translation – the first in English – was worth the wait." – Times Literary Supplement