Macau, 2 February 2026 – The 15th edition of the Macau Literary Festival – The Script Road will take place from 5 to 15 March 2026, once again establishing itself as a key meeting point between Eastern and Western cultures, languages and artistic expressions. Under the motto of celebration and intercultural dialogue, the festival will be staged mainly at the historic Casa Garden, extending to various theatres in the city with a rich programme that includes cinema, theatre, music and visual arts.
The 15th anniversary edition will pay special tribute to Portuguese poet Camilo Pessanha on the centenary of his death. His deep connection to Macau and his literary legacy will be revisited through various initiatives, highlighting the city’s role as a bridge between worlds. António Carlos Cortez, Carlos Morais José and Christopher Chu are some of the authors involved in the celebration.
The opening of the festival, on 5 March, will be marked by the inauguration of the exhibition ‘Human Territories: Photography, Belonging and Memory’, which brings together the distinctive perspectives of Portuguese photographer Alfredo Cunha and Chinese photographer Liu Zheng. The exhibition explores identities and intersecting narratives and will be accompanied by the launch of two photography books.
This edition will see a constellation of international and local authors in attendance. Among the confirmed names are:
Chinese-language literature will also be well represented, including:
From the Portuguese-speaking world, journalists João Miguel Tavares and Miguel Carvalho will be present. They recently published investigative works on former Prime Minister José Sócrates and the right-wing Chega Party, respectively.
Two other Portuguese journalists, Filipa Queiroz and Andreia Sofia da Silva, will be returning to Macau, the former to screen the documentary Salatinas, about a historic case involving a threat to architectural heritage in Coimbra, and the latter to present the book Lápis Vermelho, about press censorship in Macau during the Portuguese 20th century old regime era.
The local literary scene will be well represented by authors such as Yao Feng, Rai Mutsu, Zita Si Tou Chi U, Cheung Wai Man, Lei Ka Io, Kam Un Loi, Nick Groom, Konstantin Bessmertny and Veiga Jardim. The work of the late Macanese architect José Maneiras will be remembered by Rui Leão, Maria José de Freitas and other local personalities.
In addition to the traditional book launch sessions and discussions on different topics, the festival will offer a multidisciplinary programme, ranging from cinema to theatre and music.
Portuguese cinema will be represented by director Tiago Guedes and two of his films: A Herdade and Restos do Vento.
Theatre will also feature at The Script Road, with the performance of À Primeira Vista, directed by Tiago Guedes, which will mark the return to Macau of actress Margarida Vila-Nova.
Originally titled Prima Facie, the play is the work of Australian playwright Suzie Miller and has already been staged in London, New York, and around 30 other cities worldwide, including Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Musically, the highlight of The Script Road will be the performance by Rodrigo Leão at the Macau Cultural Centre on the evening of 11 March.
Additional names to this initial guest list will be announced shortly.
The 15th Macau Literary Festival is organised with the support of the Macau Government, diplomatic representations, local associations, companies – with special emphasis on the hotel sector – and the media. Casa Garden, headquarters of the Orient Foundation, will once again serve as the base for The Script Road. This network of partnerships reflects the collective commitment to cultural life and exchange that defines Macau.
For further information, images or interview requests, please contact:
Eva Un
Media Officer
