The Regional Director for Culture stated on Thursday night on the island of Faial that the book by Dimas Simas Lopes, "Sonata para um Viajante" (Sonata for a Traveller), is the "revelation" of a "very promising" Azorean writer.

Jorge Bruno conveyed his opinion in statements made on the sidelines of the book presentation session that took place under the Horta Book Festival. This initiative will be held at the João José da Graça Public Library and Regional Archive.

According to the Regional Director for Culture, this book "brings something new in terms of writing." "Sonata para um Viajante" is not exactly a novel; it is more than a diary or an autobiography; it is "a work that fascinates every reader."

I stress "the importance of this work in the context of what has been published and edited in the Azores in the field of literature," Jorge Bruno said, adding that his presence at the ceremony represents the "institutional support" of the Regional Government to the book.

"I salute all Azorean writers through Dimas Simas Lopes, because this is another work that contributes to the Azorean imaginary in the area of literature," concluded the government official.

A Cardiologist and plastic artist, Dimas Simas is a native of Terceira Island. Over the last two decades, he has organised numerous individual and collective exhibitions at art galleries and other public spaces in the Azores, Porto, Coimbra, Lisbon, Italy, Brazil and United States.

He has painted the series "A Cor da Palavra" (The Colour of the Word), "O Outro Lado da Terra" (The Other Side of the Earth), "O Ouro e os Mitos" (Gold and Myths) and Sinais da Matéria (Signs of Matter). Moreover, he has also painted murals at the São Pedro Church and the Holy Spirit "Impérios" in Biscoitos, and at the Chapel of Angra do Heroísmo Hospital. His paintings make up several collections spread across several countries.

Dimas Simas Lopes has dedicated himself to sculpture in metal since 1998, having designed various models as public art proposals. In 2004, he founded the Carmina Contemporary Art Gallery on the island of Terceira.