Deodato Pires

Merchant and poet. Son of Algarve farmers who settled in the fertile yet remote hills of Vila Nova de São Bento, where there was no primary school, he had to prepare privately for examinations, in which he obtained top grades. At fourteen he visited Olhão, the hometown of his parents, deciding then to settle there in commercial trade. Gifted with great intelligence, he devoted himself to reading, acquiring a solid general education. He contributed fairly regularly to the Lisbon newspaper O Comércio de Víveres and to Olhanense. As a poet, he has regularly won awards in Floral Games and other literary contests. His poetry exhibits a strong inspiration in social themes, devoting several poems to childhood memories, to figures who shaped his cultural development, and to moments that marked the history and society of Olhão.