T. S. Eliot and the Premio Camoes: A Brief Honeymoon and Anointment of Portuguese Fascist Politics (Critical Essay‪)‬

In T. S. Eliot: A Life, Peter Ackroyd writes that in April 1938 T. S. Eliot (1888-1965) "travelled to Lisbon in order to sit on the jury for the Camoens Prize" (241) without any further reference. Time and time again, I have reflected on the implications of this statement, especially after the publication of my essay, "An Overlooked Legacy: Gloucester's Portuguese Fishermen in the Background of T. S. Eliot's 'The Dry Salvages'." In this essay, I argued that Eliot was referring to the Our Lady of Good Voyage Church in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and that this section of The Four Quartets is soaked with references to Portuguese culture. In this essay, I hope to shed some light on the overlooked episode Ackroyd alludes to while reconstructing Eliot's stay in Portugal with the few materials available. In addition, I also aim at stressing Eliot's fascination with Antonio de Oliveira Salazar's (1889-1970) fascist politics. **********