From the family

Published in 2018, it offers an in-depth analysis of family relationships and their tensions. The work maintains the author's distinctive style, marked by clarity and a rejection of artificial dramatisation.

The text is rigorously structured, with careful attention to psychological detail and the complexity of human interactions. Romão uses direct language and avoids unnecessary stylistic devices to create a narrative that demands concentration and reflection. 

It is a book that confirms the author's consistent approach to difficult themes, always maintaining a sober, analytical tone.

in Abysmo: "One of today's most challenging writers presents a collection of 11 short stories, some of which were previously published in magazines such as Granta and Egoísta. In a style of great lyrical starkness, he expands his universe here to the omnipresent theme of family, creating extraordinary characters and apocalyptic settings with unusual authenticity. On the cover, a small mirror, scratched by time and use, reminds us that no one, not even the unwary reader, can escape the family portrait—the portrait of an ordinary family."

"Like some of his characters, Valério does not hesitate to use the scalpel, and it is precisely the incisions made into the body of the narrative—brief lyrical digressions (for example, someone drawing "a rudimentary Japanese garden with a fork" on their plate of rice)—that give it brilliance and an unusual power."
José Mário Silva, Expresso

Valério Romão was born in France in 1974 but spent much of his life in Portugal. He is a writer, translator and playwright, recognised for his intense approach and his exploration of the darkest aspects of human experience. He has written novels, plays and short stories. Among his best-known books are Autismo, O da Joana and Cair para Dentro. Valério Romão remains a vibrant and active figure in the Portuguese literary scene, regarded as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary fiction.