The Regional Director for Culture said on Wednesday night in Horta that the LABJOVEM collection meets the Government's goal for the creation of collection that aims to publish the works of "emerging youngsters" in the field of literary creation.

The statements were made by Jorge Bruno on the sidelines of the book launch "A Besta" (The Beast) by Flávio Silva, the winner of the 2011 LABJOVEM edition. The Young Creators of the Azores Competition is organised by the Burra de Milho Cultural Association and the Regional Directorate for Youth.

Hence, "this is excellent opportunity to publish the literary works of emerging youngsters in the context of a prestigious competition such as LABJOVEM," stated the government official.

Mentioning the launch of the book “A Besta,” which is the third work of the LABJOVEM collection, Jorge Bruno says that the literary work of a Faial-born author "honours" the Regional Directorate for Culture as "it spreads these awards around several Azorean islands."

A native of Faial, Flávio Miguel Fraga da Silva currently lives in China, where he is finishing a degree in Mandarin at Nanjing University. In 2009, he won the 3rd prize at the 8th Trofa National Writing Contest.

The plot of "A Besta,” which was presented yesterday by Vitor Rui Dores, takes place in the 16th century and focuses on the life of Amadeu Pamplona, a gold dealer whose business is undergoing a period of decline. To recover the fortune of past times, he concocts an unusual plan that will challenge popular customs and launch his family into an uncertain future.

The launch of the book by Flávio Silva took place at the Bar of Teatro Faialense, followed by an acoustic concert by musician João Félix.