A Struggle for place: African migration to Europe in Paulo Moura’s Passaporte para o Céu (2006)

Rita Amorim; Raquel Baltazar

doi:10.34629/cpublica.801

Authors

Rita Amorim University of Lisbon https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3119-4541
Raquel Baltazar University of Lisbon https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7010-3994

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34629/cpublica.801

Keywords:

literary journalism, Paulo Moura, Passaporte para o Céu, migrants

Abstract

This paper explores African migrants’ fight to reach Europe, as witnessed and narrated by Portuguese reporter Paulo Moura in Passaporte para o Céu (2006). An immersion experience involving observation and interviews denounces the tragic reality of all the victims of organized crime and gives them voice, visibility, and dignity. True (un)successful stories of millions of ordinary (in)visible people seeking a safer, better life in a place imagined as Heaven. This article is grounded in theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches for literary journalism studies. Drawing on concepts from narrative journalism and social justice theory, the analysis delves into Moura's storytelling techniques, thematic explorations, and the ethical considerations inherent in his portrayal of marginalized individuals. Through this dual theoretical and methodological lens, the paper offers insights into the ways in which Moura's work transcends traditional journalism to become a powerful tool for social critique and advocacy.

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Author Biographies

Rita Amorim, University of Lisbon

Assistant Professor at ISCSP, University of Lisbon, where she teaches English for Social Sciences. She holds a PhD in International Relations and is a fellow researcher at CAPP and a member of the IALJS. She has published on written and spoken code switching within the field of sociolinguistics, foreign-language teaching and learning, and English as a Lingua Franca. Most recently, her research interests and publications embrace Literary Journalism in Portuguese and Spanish, travel literature, cultural and linguistic studies on Anglophone and Lusophone domains, and Transatlantic studies.
Raquel Baltazar, University of Lisbon

PhD in Literary and Cultural Studies and Assistant Professor at ISCSP, University of Lisbon, where she teaches English for Social Sciences and Written and Oral Expression. She is a fellow researcher at CAPP, where she is currently the vice-president, being the Editor chief of Public Sciences and Policies. She is also a member of the IALJS. She has published on written and spoken foreign-language teaching and learning. More recently, her research interests and publications embrace Literary Journalism, travel literature, cultural and linguistic studies on Anglophone and Lusophone domains, and Transatlantic studies.

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A Struggle for place

African migration to Europe in Paulo Moura’s Passaporte para o Céu (2006)

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