Certeza

Certeza was a Cape Verdean literary review founded in Praia in 1944. Its name, a Portuguese word meaning “certainty,” places it within the Portuguese-language cultural and publishing environment of Cape Verde during the late colonial period. Although it attracted less recognition than Claridade, the earlier review established in 1936, Certeza is regarded as a significant milestone in Cape Verdean literary history. The review’s first issue appeared in March 1944. Eduino Brito Silva served as director, while Joaquim Ribeiro was editor in chief. Its editorial program brought together literary writing and reflections on Cape Verdean society. Among the notable contributions to the first issue was Orlanda Amarílis’s “Acêrca da Mulher,” a reflection on the status of women. The inclusion of this work indicates that the publication was not limited to literary form alone, but also provided space for discussion of social roles and contemporary cultural questions. A second issue followed in June 1944. The review then encountered censorship: its next issue was banned by the censor. A third edition was eventually published in January 1945, demonstrating that the publication continued, at least briefly, despite official intervention. That issue included Henrique Teixeira de Sousa’s “Homens de hoje,” translated as “Men today.” Other writers associated with Certeza included Manuel Ferreira. Through these contributors, the review formed part of the wider network of Cape Verdean writers who used literary periodicals to examine local identity, society, and the cultural conditions of the islands. Its relationship to Claridade is generally understood in terms of historical succession and comparison: Certeza was less prominent, but it nevertheless contributed to the formation of modern Cape Verdean literary culture. The available reference material documents three issues between March 1944 and January 1945 and records censorship of the publication. It does not establish the date on which Certeza ceased publication, its circulation, ownership structure, print run, or any later revival. Those details therefore remain unconfirmed. Certeza is best understood not as a continuing commercial consumer brand, but as a historically important literary-review title and cultural publication.

Certeza emerged in Praia in 1944 as a Portuguese-language literary review during an important period of Cape Verdean cultural publishing. It followed Claridade, founded in 1936, which had already established the literary review as a vehicle for examining Cape Verdean society and identity. Certeza was less widely known than its predecessor, but it nevertheless occupies a recognized place in the history of Cape Verdean literature. The first issue was released in March 1944. Eduino Brito Silva was the review's director and Joaquim Ribeiro its editor in chief. The publication combined literary work with broader social and cultural commentary. A notable text in the opening issue was Orlanda Amarílis's “Acêrca da Mulher,” a reflection on the position and status of women. This contribution shows the review's interest in social questions as well as literary expression. Certeza published a second issue in June 1944. The review then faced official censorship, and its third issue was banned by the censor. Despite that interruption, a third edition was ultimately published in January 1945. It featured Henrique Teixeira de Sousa's “Homens de hoje,” or “Men today.” Manuel Ferreira was among the other writers associated with the publication. The documented run illustrates both the cultural importance and the institutional constraints faced by Cape Verdean literary periodicals under colonial rule. Certeza offered writers a public forum, while the suppression of an issue demonstrated the limits placed on publishing and expression. The available sources identify three editions and the censorship episode but do not provide a confirmed closing date, circulation figures, publisher, financing, or evidence of a later continuation. Its current status as a publication is therefore unconfirmed. Historically, however, Certeza is remembered as a meaningful, if comparatively less prominent, contribution to the development of Cape Verdean literature.

• 1945

  Third edition appears after censorship

  [1]Certezaen.wikipedia.org

  Following the banning of the third issue by the censor, a third edition is published in January 1945 with work by Henrique Teixeira de Sousa.

• 1944

  Certeza is established in Praia

  [1]Certezaen.wikipedia.org

  The Cape Verdean literary review is established in Praia, adding a new periodical voice to the islands' Portuguese-language literary culture.

• 1944

  First issue published

  [1]Certezaen.wikipedia.org

  The inaugural issue appears in March, with Orlanda Amarílis contributing the social reflection “Acêrca da Mulher.”

• 1944

  Second issue published

  [1]Certezaen.wikipedia.org

  The second edition is released in June 1944.

A Cape Verdean literary and cultural review that provided a platform for Portuguese-language writing, social reflection, and discussion of Cape Verdean identity during the 1940s.

• Literary review · 1944

  Certeza

  A Cape Verdean Portuguese-language literary and cultural review established in Praia in 1944. Its documented issues included literary writing and social commentary, including Orlanda Amarílis's reflection on the status of women and Henrique Teixeira de Sousa's “Homens de hoje.” Three editions are documented in the available reference material, with the publication interrupted by censorship before the third edition appeared.

• 1944

  Publication continues after a censored issueOther

  Background

  The review encountered official censorship when its third issue was banned.

  Action taken

  Certeza subsequently issued a third edition in January 1945.

  Aftermath

  The publication's third documented edition appeared, but the available material does not establish how long the review continued afterward.

  Source

• 1945

  Third edition of Certeza appears after censorship[1]Certezaen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation · Regulation

  A third edition was published in January 1945 and included Henrique Teixeira de Sousa's contribution “Homens de hoje.”

• 1944

  Certeza's first issue is published in Praia[1]Certezaen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The first issue of the Cape Verdean literary review appeared in March 1944 under director Eduino Brito Silva and editor in chief Joaquim Ribeiro.

• 1944

  Second issue of Certeza is published[1]Certezaen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  A second edition of the literary review was published in June 1944, continuing the publication's contribution to Cape Verdean literary culture.

• 1944

  Certeza encounters censorship before its third issue[1]Certezaen.wikipedia.org

  Regulation

  The review's planned third issue was prohibited by the censor, interrupting publication before a subsequent issue appeared.

1. 1Certezaen.wikipedia.org