Poetry Expo 26
/ 19 February 2026
Carta de amor pra machistas / Love letter to sexists
Poetry Expo 2026
The prejudices, inequalities and aggressions suffered by women were the basis for the creation of this poem-letter; a perspective on women's exhaustion caused by sexism, by the juggling act of trying to define and explain what it means to be a woman.
The issues of physical and psychological violence, motherhood, reproductive rights, silence, the double, triple and endless journey, what is the meaning of feeling like a woman, being a woman; too much or not enough, never enough. In whose eyes? With rules made by whom?
The construction of the poem – which became a manifesto – includes some words and expressions, sent by 19 people who wanted to join the collective construction of the poem, a challenge I launched to try to answer the question ‘what does it mean to be a woman?’ Words and expressions have been highlighted throughout the poem.
The poem-manifesto was written during 2022–2023 and became a video-poem in 2025 to mark the 25 years since domestic violence is considered public crime in Portugal. Since then, almost 700 women have died, victims of this horrendous crime. For each one, a cross in our history.
The project is part of the subtheme Unruly Forms – Experiments in the Poetic Wild.
Author
Inês Falafogo
Inês Falafogo is a poet who explores the possibilities of its written, spoken and visual aesthetics. She also creates soundscapes and installations. Her works, in which she reflects on themes such as time, freedom, and equality, have been published in anthologies and exhibited at national and international art festivals. She was a finalist in the Portuguese competition Cantar Abril, in the Declamar [Spoken Word] Abril category (2024), received an honorable mention in the Gender Equality Literary Prize (2024), and at the Lisbon Poetry Festival (2023, 2024, and 2025). She is the author of the book Casulo para criar asas and founder of the collective Mulheres Fazem Revoluções (Women Make Revolutions). She has a master degree in Communication and Journalism, a postgraduate degree in Digital Marketing, and a PhD in Feminist Studies to be finished.
