Category: Alfandega

Fernando Costa de Alfandega (1879-1932) was a poet, short-story author and sketchwriter. He is widely regarded as one of the most-important writers ever to be associated with the Antama. Amongst his many notable works, he is typically best-known for his classic stories, syndicated as the “Contos das Ilhas”, based upon the folktales and local traditions of the islands disparate communities.

Alfandega’s identity has always been a great mystery. So little is known of his personal history, beyond what he ever wrote himself, that it has long been assumed that his profile is in fact a pseudonym. Some have speculated that the heteronym may have been a creation of the Portuguese literary great Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935) although others have cast doubts on this.

What is for sure is that his poetry and prose is often quoted, translated from its original Portuguese, and widely referenced in other works of the Antaman literary canon.

28th Apr 202428th Apr 2024 Andrew Halsall Smith Alfandega, WORDS & VOICES

Myths of Pelagosia

These are the interpretations of various legends told since times of yore about the formation of the islands and how life here came to be. They were collected over decades, and then enlivened for publication, by Fernando Costa de Alfandega. Many of his re-tellings have become so well-known in popular culture that the difference between these adaptations and their word-of-mouth origins has nowadays become blurred and almost indistinguishable.

9th Apr 20234th Feb 2024 Antama Publishing Alfandega, WORDS & VOICES

Contos das Ilhas

...Fernando Costa de Alfandega's much-cherished classic tales of places, characters, anecdotes, traditions and folklore gathered on his lifelong journey of curiosity

31st Jan 202124th Jan 2022 Antama Publishing Alfandega

O Sino Silencioso

From the "CONTOS DOS ILHAS" collection, this is the classic tale of the fishermen's myth and the iconic bell-tower on the Francistown harbourside

29th Dec 202016th May 2021 Antama Publishing Alfandega

(FERNANDO COSTA DE) ALFANDEGA

Little is known of Alfandega’s personal history and it has long been assumed he is a pseudonym. His most-famous works are collated as "Contos das Ilhas", a loose episodic collection of sketches and vignettes. These tales include the "Myths of Pelagosia", a collection of fables on the mythical creation of the islands.