The Project

Palavras que Contam — Intercultural Literature · Reading, writing and new voices among young people from diverse backgrounds

Reading, writing and new voices across cultures

Palavras que Contam — Intercultural Literature is a project that aims to promote reading and writing habits among young people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

Through creative writing, illustration and artistic expression practices, the project fosters engagement with writing and reading, imagination and the creation of original narratives, valuing creativity as a tool for participation and self-expression.

Simultaneously, it seeks to contribute to a more plural and inclusive publishing landscape by creating opportunities for new voices and new authors to emerge.

Pillar 01

Writing & Illustration Workshops

Telling, imagining, writing, creating. Creative writing and illustration workshops in formal and non-formal educational settings, bringing young people closer to reading, imagination and literary creation. Through writing exercises, drawing and narrative experimentation, participants explored characters, stories and different forms of expression — developing original projects and small publications such as minizines.

Pillar 02

Listening, Supporting, Understanding

In Palavras que Contam, creating also means listening. Evaluation accompanied the process continuously, seeking to understand how reading, writing and creating transform young people’s relationships with words, with themselves and with others. More than results, what remains are experiences, memories and new voices.

Pillar 03

Building Community

Reading and writing can also be spaces for connection. Across the project, young people from different backgrounds shared experiences, ideas and stories — building relationships, trust and new forms of expression. Because words don’t just tell stories; they also help build community.

In their own words

Voices from the Project

I don’t have to keep everything to myself anymore… I feel more comfortable talking about what I feel.

— Young author · Palavras que Contam Residential Retreat

We can write whatever we want, nobody is going to judge … I thought: it’s my very own book.

— Student, 8th Grade · Palavras que Contam Mini-cycles

Building Community

Words that bring us closer

Reading and writing can also be spaces for connection. Throughout the project, more than 160 young people from different backgrounds shared experiences, ideas and stories — building relationships, trust and new forms of expression.

Because words don’t just tell stories — they also help build community.

160+

young people involved across communities

Schools & Communities

Agualva Mira-Sintra School Cluster · E2OSintra · Ferreira de Castro School Cluster · Tapada das Mercês Community · among others