The sponsors of the Concurso Mórmon Parley P. Pratt de Contos em Português (Parley P. Pratt Mormon Short Story Contest) are pleased to announce the stories and authors awarded in the contest’s first year, and the stories selected for inclusion in the contest short story collection to be released later this year.
The contest, announced last March, is an attempt to encourage the development of Mormon literature in Portuguese. By influencing Portuguese-speakers to write Mormon stories, the contest hopes to increase the supply of literature in Portuguese, and by producing a volume of the best of the stories, the sponsors hope to increase the number of cultural products available. Thus, we hope to expand and improve Mormon culture in the Portuguese-speaking world.
A panel of 3 judges, all academics, selected both the prize-winning stories and those to be included in the published anthology. One judge was a native from Portugal, a second was a native of Brazil and the third was a Portuguese-speaking U.S. native who is also familiar with the market for LDS fiction and literature.
The following are the stories selected:
Prize winners:
- 1st prize (R$ 500): “O Encontro” (The Encounter) by Maria Aparecida dos Santos — Almada, Portugal
- 2nd prize (R$ 300): “Aquilo” (That) by Regina Lúcia Carvalho da Cunha — Santos, São Paulo, Brasil
- 3rd prize (R$ 200): “Sociedade Anónima” (Limited Company) by Mário Jorge de Costa Vale — Viseu, Portugal
Short stories to be included in the anthology:
- “Ardil” (Ruse) by Alexandre Ventura – Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
- “Euthanátos” (Eu thanatos) by Alexandre Ventura – Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
- “Baú do Amor” (Chest of Love) by Christina Ayres-Smith – Hyrum, Utah, EUA (a Brasilian)
- “Sociedade Anónima” (Limited Company) by Mário Jorge de Costa Vale — Viseu, Portugal
- “O Malmequer” (The Marigold) by Mário Jorge de Costa Vale — Viseu, Portugal
- “O Palhaço” (The Clown) by Mário Jorge de Costa Vale — Viseu, Portugal
- “A Busca de Vicente” (The Search for Vincent) by Sueli de Aquino — Salvador, Bahia, Brasil
- “Anormais” (Abnormals) by André Lucas Dellova da Cunha — Daidema, São Paulo, Brasil
- “As Inteligencias” (The Inteligences) by Marcelo Bighetti — Sumaré, São Paulo, Brasil
- “Aquilo” (That) by Regina Lúcia Carvalho da Cunha — Santos, São Paulo, Brasil
- “Reencontro” (Re-encounter) by Ana Paula Borrego — Setúbal, Portugal
- “O encontro” (The Encounter) by Maria Aparecida dos Santos — Almada, Portugal
The book will be published by Samuel Lamanite Editions of New York City, one of the sponsors of the contest. Samuel Lamanite Editions is dedicated to producing Mormon books and culture from those who speak languages other than English.
A Motley Vision 
Very cool. Will you let us know when the book is published?
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If I remember correctly, only #1 will be translated into English, yes?
This is great, Kent. I’m pleased that you have enough for an anthology. I wish I spoke Portuguese.
Katya, I will certainly post here when the book is published.
Th. it looks like I will eventually be translating the top three. I’m about 1/4 of the way into a draft translation of the first story, which I will use to approach the various Mormon journals and magazines about getting the story published there (I will at least approach Sunstone, Dialogue and Irreantum, and possibly also Mormon Artist and Segulah, if they take this kind of thing. Any suggestions for other possible English-language venues would be welcome.] I’d like to see all three prize winners published.
William, what language(s) do you speak? I’m thinking of expanding this contest into Spanish next year, and I’d certainly consider other languages also.
FWIW, we’re including less than a third of submissions in the anthology — which gives me comfort that we can get enough submissions for an anthology next year also.
Romanian and German. I think Spanish is the next logical step.
German isn’t a bad step either. Not a lot of Church members, but they can afford books more than most places.
However, as far as I know German is the only language outside of English with a long-term functioning book publisher, LDS Books.
Very cool. I do speak Portuguese (so in your face, Wm!), and I am excited to check this out.
Did anything ever come of this? Was an anthology ever published?
Sure was published, Scott:
Aquilo que nos move: os melhores contos do concurso Parley P. Pratt de contos mórmons, 2010 (Portuguese Edition)
Obrigado, amigo. Eu vou comprar-me uma cópia.
Nada.