PH Embassy Launches First Portuguese Pocketbook Edition of Dr. Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere

​​LISBON, 23 May 2023 – The first Portuguese pocketbook edition of Dr. Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere, published by Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial Portugal, was launched on 15 May 2023 at Livraria Almedina, in Lisbon, Portugal.

The close partnership between the Philippine Embassy in Portugal, the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, and the Center for the Humanities (CHAM) of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, made possible the translation into Portuguese of Jose Rizal’s most famous novel.

The book launch was preceded by brief remarks from the panel composed of Philippine Ambassador to Portugal, Celia Anna M. Feria, professors Paulo Pinto and Isabel Branco from the Universidade Nova de Lisboa and professor Carmen Acuña from the University of Malaga in Spain, with each speaking about the many elements of the novel and its author; the book’s translation project; and its relevance in Philippine-Portuguese relations.

According to the Ambassador, the importance of translating Noli Me Tangere into various languages, including in Portuguese, is "a testament to the novel’s universal appeal and enduring relevance.” She also thanked the men and women behind the project with the Embassy, especially Professors Paulo Pinto and Isabel Branco, and the translators from the Department of Literature of the University Nova de Lisboa, Alex Tarradellas and Rita Custodio. “Rizal would have been delighted to learn that the original meaning, his choice and tone of the words, and the ideas he carefully selected and brought to life are now meticulously preserved in Portuguese,” said the Ambassador.

The Ambassador also expressed her gratitude to the Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial Portugal for assisting the Philippine Embassy in promoting Philippine literature through this novel in Portugal and for making it more accessible for the 280 million Portuguese-speaking people around the world. This Portuguese edition of the Noli Me Tangere is now a part of Penguin Random House's renowned Penguin Classics collection. 

Translation of the Noli Me Tangere was made possible through funding support from the Office of Senator Franklin M. Drilon in 2021.

“The Philippine Embassy's commitment to spreading knowledge and understanding of the Philippines in Portugal is an important step towards fostering people-to-people exchanges between Filipinos and Portuguese. By publishing this book in Portuguese, the Philippine Embassy hopes to further promote cultural exchange and deepen understanding between the Philippines and Portugal,” said Ambassador Feria.

Officials from the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Instituto do Oriente, members of the academe and the media, and Filipino community members in Lisbon graced the well-attended book launch.

This first Portuguese pocketbook edition of Dr. Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere is available at leading bookstores and online platforms in Portugal.  END