Why Florbela?
Florbela Espanca is one of Portugal’s most known and loved poets. Florbela began writing poetry – mostly sonnets – and still impress us today – because of the unusual intensity of feeling they express.
She was little understood by contemporary critics, who characterized her style as “feminine” and “narcissistic,” usually conflating the two terms. However, she was well ahead of her time as a voice calling for freedom of gender and mind.