Seara Nova

Seara Nova is a Portuguese cultural and political review founded in Lisbon in 1921 on the initiative of Raul Proença and a circle of Portuguese intellectuals. Its first issue appeared in October 1921, dated 15 October 1921 on its masthead. Before that first number, a series of preparatory meetings took place, the decisive one being held in April in Coimbrão, in the district of Leiria, with the participation of Teixeira de Pascoaes, Raul Proença, Câmara Reis, Jaime Cortesão, Aquilino Ribeiro, Raul Brandão and Faria de Vasconcelos. From the outset it was conceived as an essentially doctrinal and critical publication with pedagogical and political aims, seeking to break the isolation of the Portuguese intellectual elite and bring it closer to social reality. Among its early collaborators was a group with journalistic experience, notably Jaime Cortesão, Augusto Casimiro and Raul Proença, who had previously contributed to the magazine A Águia, a publication that had failed to satisfy their desire for intervention and engagement with society. In its early years the project brought together some of the leading names of the era's intelligentsia: Jaime Cortesão, Raul Proença, António Sérgio, Raul Brandão, Aquilino Ribeiro, Câmara Reis and Augusto Casimiro. Over more than fifty years of relatively regular publication, many intellectuals contributed to Seara Nova, including António Sérgio (who joined its direction from 1923 and established himself there as a thinker and critic), Augusto Casimiro, Augusto da Costa Dias, Rogério Fernandes, Augusto Abelaira, Teixeira Gomes, Assis Esperança, Afonso Duarte, Hernâni Cidade, Joaquim de Carvalho, João de Barros, Irene Lisboa, Manuel Mendes, José Rodrigues Miguéis, José Bacelar, Álvaro Salema, Lobo Vilela, Santana Dionísio, José Gomes Ferreira, Adeodato Barreto, Adolfo Casais Monteiro, Mário Dionísio, João Martins Pereira, Avelino da Costa Cunhal, Fernando Lopes-Graça and Jorge de Sena. Politically and ideologically, after the establishment of the National Dictatorship in 1927 and the consolidation of the Estado Novo, Seara Nova became the principal periodical of democratic opposition to António de Oliveira Salazar's regime. Over half a century following the coup d'état of 28 May 1927, the review played a central role in reflection and critical intervention against the degeneration of 1920s republican liberalism, then in opposition to the consolidation of the Estado Novo in the second half of the 1930s, in civic resistance throughout the 1940s and 1950s, and in the ideological and doctrinal renewal of the Portuguese left and its political and cultural affirmation in the 1960s and 1970s until the fall of the dictatorship and the arrival of democracy in Portugal. The review was published, though not always regularly, until 1979, reaching issue number 1598/1599. From that year it published only one issue per year to ensure that, under Portuguese law, the title would not be lost, and it continued in that manner until 1985, when it reappeared as a quarterly review. From the summer 2004 edition onward, the publication resumed its earlier numbering, subsequently incorporating all the editions that had been produced in the meantime. Today Seara Nova remains active, with a digital archive covering its output from 1921 and an editorial programme that continues to publish new issues, launch sessions and tribute events.

Seara Nova was founded in Lisbon in 1921 on the initiative of Raul Proença and a group of Portuguese intellectuals. Its first issue appeared in October 1921, bearing the date 15 October 1921 on its masthead. The project was prepared through a series of meetings, the decisive one taking place in April in Coimbrão, in the district of Leiria, attended by Teixeira de Pascoaes, Raul Proença, Câmara Reis, Jaime Cortesão, Aquilino Ribeiro, Raul Brandão and Faria de Vasconcelos. From the beginning it was an essentially doctrinal and critical publication with pedagogical and political aims, intended to break the isolation of the Portuguese intellectual elite and bring it closer to social reality. Among the early collaborators was a group with some journalistic experience, especially Jaime Cortesão, Augusto Casimiro and Raul Proença, who had already contributed to the magazine A Águia, a publication that had not been able to satisfy their purpose of intervention and proximity to society. In its first years the project united some of the leading names of the intelligentsia of the time: Jaime Cortesão, Raul Proença, António Sérgio, Raul Brandão, Aquilino Ribeiro, Câmara Reis and Augusto Casimiro. Over more than fifty years of relatively regular publication, many intellectuals contributed to Seara Nova, among them António Sérgio (who joined its direction from 1923 and established himself there as a thinker and critic), Augusto Casimiro, Augusto da Costa Dias, Rogério Fernandes, Augusto Abelaira, Teixeira Gomes, Assis Esperança, Afonso Duarte, Hernâni Cidade, Joaquim de Carvalho, João de Barros, Irene Lisboa, Manuel Mendes, José Rodrigues Miguéis, José Bacelar, Álvaro Salema, Lobo Vilela, Santana Dionísio, José Gomes Ferreira, Adeodato Barreto, Adolfo Casais Monteiro, Mário Dionísio, João Martins Pereira, Avelino da Costa Cunhal, Fernando Lopes-Graça and Jorge de Sena. After the establishment of the National Dictatorship in 1927 and the consolidation of the Estado Novo, Seara Nova became the principal periodical of democratic opposition to António de Oliveira Salazar's regime. Over half a century following the coup d'état of 28 May 1927, the review played a central role in reflection and critical intervention against the degeneration of 1920s republican liberalism, then in opposition to the consolidation of the Estado Novo in the second half of the 1930s, in civic resistance throughout the 1940s and 1950s, and in the ideological and doctrinal renewal of the Portuguese left and its political and cultural affirmation in the 1960s and 1970s until the fall of the dictatorship and the arrival of democracy in Portugal. The review was published, though not always regularly, until 1979, reaching issue number 1598/1599. From that year it published only one issue per year to ensure that, under Portuguese law, the title would not be lost, and it continued in that manner until 1985, when it reappeared as a quarterly review. From the summer 2004 edition onward, the publication resumed its earlier numbering, subsequently incorporating all the editions that had been produced in the meantime. The official website today presents a digital archive (espólio digital) covering 1921 onward, an editorial section, and records of launch sessions and tribute events, indicating that the title remains active in the present day.

• 2004

  From the summer 2004 edition, the publication resumes its earlier numbering.

• 1985

  Seara Nova reappears as a quarterly review.

• 1979

  Publication reaches issue number 1598/1599; thereafter only one issue per year is published to preserve the title under Portuguese law.

• 1927

  After the National Dictatorship is established, Seara Nova becomes the principal periodical of democratic opposition.

• 1923

  António Sérgio joins the review's direction.

• 1921

  First issue of Seara Nova published in October, dated 15 October 1921.

• 1921

  Decisive preparatory meeting held in April in Coimbrão, Leiria district.

A historic Portuguese cultural and political review, historically associated with democratic opposition to the Estado Novo and with critical intellectual intervention.

• Seara Nova review issues

  Cultural and political review published since 1921.

• Digital archive (espólio digital)

  Online archive covering the review's output from 1921 onward.

1. 1Seara Nova official websitesearanova.publ.pt
2. 2Seara Nova – Wikipedia (Spanish)es.wikipedia.org
3. 3Seara Nova – Wikidatawikidata.org