Irene Lisboa
Irene Lisboa was a Portuguese educator, writer, and feminist born in the late 1800s near Lisbon. Raised primarily by her godmother after her father, a lawyer, disowned her, she pursued a career in education with aspirations of becoming an elementary school teacher. Lisboa's commitment to women's roles in education led her to establish a journal called Educação Feminina, where she discussed educational reforms. Her expertise in childhood education earned her recognition, culminating in a scholarship to study at the Institut des Sciences de l'Education, from which she graduated in 1931.
However, her progressive initiatives faced challenges during the authoritarian regime of António de Oliveira Salazar, resulting in the suppression of her work in education and a demotion in her career. Subsequently, Lisboa turned her focus to writing, publishing a variety of works, including children's stories, poetry, novellas, and novels. Her literary contributions resonated with themes of education and the human experience, culminating in her posthumously published final book, Crónicas da serra, in 1958. Through her life and work, Lisboa made significant contributions to both education and literature in Portugal.
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Subject Terms
Irene Lisboa
Writer
- Born: December 15, 1892
- Birthplace: Casal da Murzinheira, near Lisbon, Portugal
- Died: November 25, 1958
- Place of death: Lisbon, Portugal
Biography
Irene Lisboa was born in the late 1800’s in a small village outside of Lisbon, Portugal. Her mother was an eighteen- year-old girl, and her father was a much older lawyer. She was raised primarily by her godmother, and although Lisboa’s father would not legally acknowledge her, he did support her financially, sending her to boarding school. When Lisboa was an adolescent, her father remarried, and she was completely disowned by him. She completed her secondary education with the help of her godmother. Liboa then attended school in hopes of becoming an elementary school teacher. During this time, Liboa became interested in feminism and founded a journal called Educação Feminina. The journal had a short run, but gave Lisboa a forum for discussing the education system and women’s role within it.
In 1915, Lisboa began teaching elementary school, five years later shifting her focus to preschool. She became known as an expert in childhood education and in 1929 was awarded a scholarship to study at the Institut des Sciences de l’Education. Lisboa received her degree in 1931, and then studied in Brussels and Prague. Upon her return to Portugal, Lisboa created an early learning program, and was appointed the director of education for preschool, which allowed her to implement her ideas. As part of her campaign to bring attention to the changes needed in education, Lisboa began lecturing and publishing books and articles. Her articles appeared in such publications as Seara Nova, Revista Escolar, and Revista Portuguesa; however, her articles were published under a male pseudonym, for fear that her ideas would be taken less seriously if proposed by a woman.
Unfortunately for Lisboa, the rise of Portuguese dictator António de Oliveira Salazar led to the suppression of her innovations and the closing of forward-thinking schools. Lisboa lost her post as director of education for preschool and was demoted to menial work in the Ministry of Education. By 1940, Lisboa’s career in education was over, and she dedicated the rest of her life to writing.
It is during this period of personal strife that Lisboa made her first forays into fiction, publishing 13 Contarelos que Irene escreveu e Ilda ilustrou para a gente nova (thirteen little stories that Irene wrote and Ilda illustrated for young people), a collection of children’s stories. Lisboa also made a name for herself as a poet, notably with her collections Um dia e outro dia (one day and another day) and Outono havias de vir latente triste (autumn, you arrived hazy and sad). Lisboa went on to publish novellas, novels, further poetry collections, and numerous articles. Her final book, Crónicas da serra, was published posthumously in 1958.