The Life and Legacy of Sebastião Alba

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Dinis Albano Carneiro Gonçalves, widely known by his pen name Sebastião Alba, was a Mozambican poet born on March 11, 1940, in the parish of Cividade, Braga, Portugal. In 1949, his family relocated to Mozambique, where he spent a significant portion of his life and developed his literary career.

Sebastião Alba published his first book, "Poesias," in 1965, marking the beginning of his journey as a poet. Alongside his writing, he practiced journalism. In October 1974, he released "O Ritmo do Presságio" as part of the collection "O Som e o Sentido," published by Livraria Académica de Lourenço Marques. In 1978, he continued to establish his literary presence with the publication of "A Noite Dividida."

Five years later, in 1983, Alba left Mozambique and returned to Portugal, settling in Braga. In 1987, he moved to Miratejo but continued to publish his poetry, contributing to the magazine Colóquio/Letras. By 1988, he had returned to Braga, living in rented rooms and facing personal challenges, including alcoholism and homelessness.

On October 14, 1994, Alba gave an extensive interview to Michel Laban, a French university professor, which was later included in the volume "Moçambique-Encontros com Escritores," published by the Eng. António de Almeida Foundation in Porto in 1998. During this period, he finalized the poems that would later form the collection "O Limite Diáfano."

In 1996, Alba compiled what he considered the remnants of his poetic work into a single volume titled "A Noite Dividida," which was subsequently published by Assírio & Alvim, thanks to the initiative of Herberto Helder.

Tragically, on October 14, 2000, Sebastião Alba died after being run over. His body remained unidentified in the São Marcos Hospital morgue for three days. Posthumously, his work "A Pedra ao Lado da Evidência" was published by Campo das Letras in 2000, ensuring his literary legacy continued.