My problems

«The chronicles collected here are so extraordinary that it is difficult to choose the best. I read Os Meus Problemas from cover to cover, eventually naming eighteen. After several readings, I managed to award the prize to «A felicidade». The reasons that led me to this choice are varied, but I believe the decisive factor was discovering that there was someone in my homeland with enough audacity to declare himself happy. The Portuguese people of whom Miguel writes about are analysed with tenderness, which requires a different kind of prose from that used by the Portuguese intellectuals obsessed with the question of national identity. He never had to live inside a labyrinth of saudade, he was not forced to fear existing, nor did he give in to self-flagellation.

At one point, Miguel managed to escape the fate of a university professor to settle for the less prestigious profession of journalist. It was a wise choice. In the newspapers, the division between the pre-MEC and post-MEC era is now clear. On the other hand, what he writes survives the test of time, which must be linked to the fact that he was never interested in the political situation. What fascinates him is everyday life.»
From the preface by Maria Filomena Mónica

Miguel Esteves Cardoso (b. 1955) is a writer, chronicler and an influential figure in contemporary Portuguese culture. With a background in Economics and a long career in journalism and communications, he became known for his singular voice, capable of combining humour, lucidity and a precise observation of everyday life. His work - which includes books such as A Causa das Coisas, Os Meus Problemas and O Amor é Fodido - evolved over the decades into a more intimate and refined writing style, where reflection on love and time takes centre stage.