Fernando Pessoa

Biography

Fernando Pessoa (1888–1935) was a Portuguese poet, writer, literary critic, and translator who is considered one of the most significant literary figures of the twentieth century. Born in Lisbon and partly raised in South Africa, Pessoa created an extraordinary literary universe by writing under dozens of "heteronyms"—fully developed alter egos with distinct biographies, personalities, and writing styles. His major heteronyms include Alberto Caeiro, Ricardo Reis, and Álvaro de Campos, each a major poet in his own right. Pessoa published little during his lifetime, and the true scope of his genius—thousands of manuscripts found in a trunk after his death—was recognized only posthumously.