Now and at the Hour of Our Death
Page 8
I would like to thank the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation for supporting the writing of this book and its first Portuguese edition. I would especially like to thank Jorge Soares, Director of the Gulbenkian Programme for Innovation in Health, for believing in my work and in the value of sharing these issues and stories with a larger audience.
I am indebted to the Home Palliative Care team working in the Planalto Mirandês, Trás-os-Montes, for so generously allowing me to be a part of their routine, and particularly to Doctor Jacinta Fernandes, who welcomed me like an old friend.
The patients and families who feature in this book spoke to me with extraordinary openness, unexpected trust and admirable courage: thank you all so much.
Special thanks to photographer André Cepeda for being my travel companion in Trás-os-Montes and for his unforgettable images.
I could not have completed this book without my friend and fellow writer Alexandra Lucas Coelho, my friend Bárbara Gomes, who is a leading researcher in palliative care, and my family: thank you.
Dear readers,
We rely on subscriptions from people like you to tell these other stories – the types of stories most publishers consider too risky to take on.
Our subscribers don’t just make the books physically happen. They also help us approach booksellers, because we can demonstrate that our books already have readers and fans. And they give us the security to publish in line with our values, which are collaborative, imaginative and ‘shamelessly literary’.
All of our subscribers:
receive a first-edition copy of each of the books they subscribe to
are thanked by name at the end of these books
are warmly invited to contribute to our plans and choice of future books
Become a subscriber, or give a subscription to a friend
Visit andotherstories.org/subscribe to become part of an alternative approach to publishing.
Subscriptions are:
£20 for two books per year
£35 for four books per year
£50 for six books per year
Other Ways to Get Involved
If you’d like to know about upcoming events and reading groups (our foreign-language reading groups help us choose books to publish, for example) you can:
join the mailing list at: andotherstories.org/join-us
follow us on Twitter: @andothertweets
join us on Facebook: facebook.com/AndOtherStoriesBooks
follow our blog: Ampersand
This book was made possible thanks to the support of:
Aaron McEnery · Abigail Miller · Adam Butler · Adam Lenson · AG Hughes · Aileen-Elizabeth Taylor · Ajay Sharma · Alan Ramsey · Alasdair Thomson · Alastair Gillespie · Alastair Laing · Alastair Maude · Alec Begley · Alex Gregory · Alex Martin · Alex Ramsey · Alex Sutcliffe · Alexander Balk · Alexandra Buchler · Alexandra Georgescu · Alexandra de Verseg-Roesch · Alice Nightingale · Alice Toulmin · Alison Bowyer · Alison Hughes · Alison Layland · Alison Smith · Allison Graham · Allyson Dowling · Alyse Ceirante · Amanda Dalton · Amanda DeMarco · Amanda Jane Stratton · Amelia Dowe · Amy Allebone-Salt · Amy Rushton · Anderson Tepper · Andrew Cowan · Andrew Lees · Andrew Marston · Andrew McDougall · Andrew van der Vlies · Andrew Whitelegg · Andy Madeley · Angus MacDonald · Angus Walker · Ann Van Dyck · Anna Dear · Anna Holmwood · Anna Milsom · Anna Solovyev · Anna Vinegrad · Anna-Karin Palm · Anne Carus · Anne Lawler · Anne Marie Jackson · Anne Meadows · Annie McDermott · Antonia Lloyd-Jones · Antonio de Swift · Antony Pearce · Aoife Boyd · Archie Davies · Asako Serizawa · Audrey Holmes
Barbara Anderson · Barbara Mellor · Barbara Robinson · Barry Hall · Bartolomiej Tyszka · Belinda Farrell · Ben Schofield · Ben Smith · Ben Thornton · Benjamin Judge · Benjamin Morris · Bianca Jackson · Bill Myers · Blanco · Blanka Stoltz · Bob Hill · Bob Richmond-Watson · Brendan McIntyre · Briallen Hopper · Brian Rogers · Brigita Ptackova
C Mieville · Candy Says Juju Sophie · Carl Emery · Carla Coppola · Caroline Rucker · Carolyn A Schroeder · Catherine Mansfield · Catherine Taylor · Catrin Ashton · Cecilia Rossi & Iain Robinson · Charles Lambert · Charles Rowley · Charlotte Holtam · Charlotte Murrie & Stephen Charles · Charlotte Whittle · Chris Day · Chris Elcock · Chris Fawson · Chris Holmes · Chris Lintott · Chris Stevenson · Chris Vardy · Chris Watson · Chris Wood · Christine Carlisle · Christine Luker · Christopher Allen · Christopher Terry · Ciara Ní Riain · Claire Brooksby · Claire Fuller · Claire Seymour · Claire Tranah · Claire Williams · Clarissa Botsford · Clifford Posner · Clive Bellingham · Clodie Vasli · Colin Burrow · Courtney Lilly · Craig Barney
Dan Pope · Dana Behrman · Daniel Arnold · Daniel Carpenter · Daniel Gillespie · Daniel Hahn · Daniel Hugill · Daniel Lipscombe · Daniel Venn · Daniela Steierberg · Dave Lander · Dave Rigby · David Archer · David Gould · David Hebblethwaite · David Hedges · David Higgins · David Johnson-Davies · David Shriver · David Smith · Dawn Hart · Dawn Mazarakis · Debbie Pinfold · Deborah Jacob · Denis Stillewagt & Anca Fronescu · Diana Brighouse · Dimitris Melicertes · Dominique Brocard · Duncan Marks · Duncan Ranslem
Ed Tallent · Elaine Kennedy · Elaine Rassaby · Eleanor Maier · Eleanor Walsh · Elena Traina · Eliza O’Toole · Emily Jeremiah · Emily Taylor · Emily Williams · Emily Yaewon Lee & Gregory Limpens · Emma Bielecki · Emma Pope · Emma Yearwood · Eric E Rubeo · Eva Hdoherty · Eva Tobler-Zumstein · Ewan Tant
Fawzia Kane · Finnuala Butler · Fiona Graham · Floriane Peycelon · Fran Sanderson · Francesca Bacigalupo · Francis Taylor · Francisco Vilhena · Friederike Knabe
G Thrower · Gabrielle Crockatt · Gavin Collins · Gawain Espley · Genevra Richardson · George Sandison & Daniela Laterza · George Wilkinson · Gillian Spencer · Gillian Stern · Gordon Cameron · Graham & Steph Parslow · Graham R Foster · Gregory Conti
Hannah Vincent · Harriet Mossop · Harriet Owles · Helen Asquith · Helen Brady · Helen Weir · Helene Walters-Steinberg · Henriette Heise · Henrike Laehnemann · Hugh Berkeley
Ian Barnett · Ian Kirkwood · Ian McMillan · Ignês Sodré · Irene Mansfield · Isabella Garment
J Collins · Jack Brown · Jacqueline Crooks · Jacqueline Haskell · Jacqueline Lademann · Jacqueline Taylor · Jakob Hammarskjöld · James Attlee · James Beck · James Clark · James Cubbon · James Portlock · James Scudamore · James Tierney · James Warner · James Wilper · Jamie Richards · Jamie Walsh · Jane Brandon · Jane Crookes · Jane Whiteley · Jane Woollard · Janette Ryan · Jason Spencer · Jeff Collins · Jen Hamilton-Emery · Jennifer Hearn · Jennifer Higgins · Jennifer Hurstfield · Jennifer O’Brien · Jennifer Winter · Jenny Diski · Jenny Newton · Jess Parsons · Jessica Kingsley · Jethro Soutar · Jillian Jones · Jo Harding · Joanna Flower · Joanna Luloff · Joanna Neville · Joel Love · Johan Forsell · Johannes Georg Zipp · John Allison · John Conway · John English · John Fisher · John Gent · John Hodgson · John Kelly · John Nicholson · John Royley · John Steigerwald · Jon Gower · Jonathan Ruppin · Jonathan Watkiss · Joseph Cooney · Joseph Schreiber · Joshua Davis · Josie Soutar · Judith Heneghan · Julian Duplain · Julian Lomas · Juliane Jarke · Julie Gibson · Julie Van Pelt · Juraj Janik
Kaarina Hollo · Kaite O’Reilly · Kapka Kassabova · Kate Beswick · Kate Cooper · Kate Pullinger · Kate Wild · Katharine Freeman · Katharine Robbins · Katherine El-Salahi · Katherine Wootton Joyce · Kathryn Lewis · Katie Brown · Katie Smith · Keith Dunnett · Kelly Russell · Kevin Brockmeier · Kevin Pino · Kiera Vaclavik · Kinga Burger · Kirsteen Smith · KL Ee · Kristin Pedroja · Krystalli Glyniadakis
Lana Selby · Lander Hawes · Laura Batatota · Laura Clarke · Lauren Ellemore · Leanne Bass · Leigh Vorhies · Leonie Schwab · Leri Price · Lesley Lawn · Lesley Watters · Linda Dalziel · Lindsay Brammer · Lindsay Healy · Lindsey Ford · Lissie Jacquette · Liz Clifford · Loretta Platts · Louise Bongiovanni · Louise Rogers · Lu · Lucia Rotheray �
� Lucie Donahue · Lucy Caldwell · Luke Healey · Lynda Graham · Lynda Ross · Lynn Martin
M Manfre · Mac York · Maeve Lambe · Maggie Livesey · Maggie Peel · Maisie & Nick Carter · Marcus Joy · Marella Oppenheim · Margaret Davis · Marie Donnelly · Marilyn Zucker · Marina Castledine · Marina Galanti · Marina Lomunno · Marion Cole · Mark Ainsbury · Mark Blacklock · Mark Lumley · Mark Waters · Martha Gifford · Martha Nicholson · Martin Brampton · Martin Hollywood · Martin Price · Mary Nash · Mary Wang · Mason Billings · Matt Oldfield · Matthew Francis · Matthew Geden · Matthew O’Dwyer · Matthew Smith · Matthew Thomas · Matthew Todd · Maureen McDermott · Maxime Dargaud-Fons · Meaghan Delahunt · Melissa Quignon-Finch · Melvin Davis · Michael Harrison · Michael Holtmann · Michael Johnston · Michelle Dyrness · Miranda Petruska · Mitchell Albert · Monica Hileman · Monika Olsen
Najiba · Nan Haberman · Nasser Hashmi · Natalie Smith · Natalie Wardle · Nathalie Adams · Nathan Rostron · Neil Pretty · Nicholas Laughlin · Nick James · Nick Nelson & Rachel Eley · Nick Sidwell · Nicola Hart · Nicola Hughes · Nina Alexandersen
Octavia Kingsley · Olivier Pynn
Pat Crowe · Pat Morgan · Patricia McCarthy · Patrick Owen · Paul Bailey · Paul Brand · Paul Jones · Paul M Cray · Paul Miller · Paul Munday · Paula Edwards · Paula McGrath · Penelope Hewett Brown · Peter Armstrong · Peter Burns · Peter Lockett · Peter McCambridge · Peter Murray · Peter Rowland · Peter Vos · Philbert Xavier · Philip Warren · Phyllis Reeve · Piet Van Bockstal · Piotr Kwiecinski · PM Goodman · PRAH Recordings
Rachael Williams · Rachel Kennedy · Rachel Lasserson · Rachel Matheson · Rachel Van Riel · Rachel Watkins · Read MAW Books · Rebecca Atkinson · Rebecca Braun · Rebecca Gillam · Rebecca Kershaw · Rebecca Moss · Rebecca Rosenthal · Réjane Collard · Rhiannon Armstrong · Rhodri Jones · Richard Ellis · Richard Jackson · Richard Major · Richard Smith · Rishi Dastidar · Rob Jefferson-Brown · Rob Plews · Robert Gillett · Robin Patterson · Robyn Neil · Ros Schwartz · Rose Cole · Rose Oakes · Rosemary Terry · Ross Macpherson · Roz Simpson · Ruth Diver · Ruth F Hunt · Ruth Van Driessche
S Italiano · Sabine Griffiths · Sally Baker · Sam Cunningham · Sam Gordon · Sam Ruddock · Samantha Sabbarton-Wright · Samantha Schnee · Samuel Alexander Mansfield · Sandra Hall · Sarah Benson · Sarah Butler · Sarah Duguid · Sarah Kilvington · Sarah Pybus · Sarah Salmon · Sarah Salway · Sascha Feuchert · Sasha Dugdale · Scott Beidler · SE Guine · Sean Malone · Sean McGivern · Seini O’Connor · Sez Kiss · Sheila Beirne · Shelley Krueger · Sheridan Marshall · Sigrun Hodne · Simon John Harvey · Simona Constantin · Sioned Puw Rowlands · SJ Bradley · SJ Naudé · Sonia Overall · Stephanie Carr · Stephen Bass · Stephen H Oakey · Stephen Pearsall · Steven & Gitte Evans · Steven Sidley · Sue & Ed Aldred · Sue Childs · Sue Eaglen & Colin Crewdson · Susan Ferguson · Susan Tomaselli · Susanna Jones · Susi Lind · Susie Roberson · Suzanne Ross · Suzy Ceulan Hughes
Tammy Watchorn · Tania Hershman · Tara Cheesman · Taylor Van Horne · Thami Fahmy · The Mighty Douche Softball Team · Thomas Bell · Thomas Fritz · Thomas JD Gray · Tim Jackson · Tim Theroux · Timothy Harris · Tina Rotherham-Winqvist · Tom Bowden · Tom Darby · Tom Franklin · Tom Mandall · Tony Bastow · Torna Russell-Hills · Trevor Lewis · Tristan Burke · Troy Zabel
Val Challen · Vanessa Jackson · Vanessa Nolan · Vasco Dones · Vicky Grut · Victoria Adams · Visaly Muthusamy · Vivien Doornekamp-Glass
Wendy Irvine · Wendy Langridge · Wendy Toole · Wenna Price · William G Dennehy
Yukiko Hiranuma · Zac Palmer · Zoë Brasier · Zoe Taylor
Current & Upcoming Books
01
Juan Pablo Villalobos, Down the Rabbit Hole
translated from the Spanish by Rosalind Harvey
02
Clemens Meyer, All the Lights
translated from the German by Katy Derbyshire
03
Deborah Levy, Swimming Home
04
Iosi Havilio, Open Door
translated from the Spanish by Beth Fowler
05
Oleg Zaionchkovsky, Happiness is Possible
translated from the Russian by Andrew Bromfield
06
Carlos Gamerro, The Islands
translated from the Spanish by Ian Barnett
07
Christoph Simon, Zbinden’s Progress
translated from the German by Donal McLaughlin
08
Helen DeWitt, Lightning Rods
09
Deborah Levy, Black Vodka: ten stories
10
Oleg Pavlov, Captain of the Steppe
translated from the Russian by Ian Appleby
11
Rodrigo de Souza Leão, All Dogs are Blue
translated from the Portuguese by Zoë Perry & Stefan Tobler
12
Juan Pablo Villalobos, Quesadillas
translated from the Spanish by Rosalind Harvey
13
Iosi Havilio, Paradises
translated from the Spanish by Beth Fowler
14
Ivan Vladislavić, Double Negative
15
Benjamin Lytal, A Map of Tulsa
16
Ivan Vladislavić, The Restless Supermarket
17
Elvira Dones, Sworn Virgin
translated from the Italian by Clarissa Botsford
18
Oleg Pavlov, The Matiushin Case
translated from the Russian by Andrew Bromfield
19
Paulo Scott, Nowhere People
translated from the Portuguese by Daniel Hahn
20
Deborah Levy, An Amorous Discourse in the Suburbs of Hell
21
Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel, By Night the Mountain Burns
translated from the Spanish by Jethro Soutar
22
SJ Naudé, The Alphabet of Birds
translated from the Afrikaans by the author
23
Niyati Keni, Esperanza Street
24
Yuri Herrera, Signs Preceding the End of the World
translated from the Spanish by Lisa Dillman
25
Carlos Gamerro, The Adventure of the Busts of Eva Perón
translated from the Spanish by Ian Barnett
26
Anne Cuneo, Tregian’s Ground
translated from the French by Roland Glasser and Louise Rogers Lalaurie
27
Angela Readman, Don’t Try This at Home
28
Ivan Vladislavić, 101 Detectives
29
Oleg Pavlov, Requiem for a Soldier
translated from the Russian by Anna Gunin
30
Haroldo Conti, Southeaster
translated from the Spanish by Jon Lindsay Miles
31
Ivan Vladislavić, The Folly
32
Susana Moreira Marques, Now and at the Hour of Our Death
translated from the Portuguese by Julia Sanches
33
Lina Wolff, Bret Easton Ellis and the Other Dogs
translated from the Swedish by Frank Perry
34
Anakana Schofield, Martin John
35
Joanna Walsh, Vertigo
36
Wolfgang Bauer, Crossing the Sea
translated from the German by Sarah Pybus
with photographs by Stanislav Krupař
37
Various, Lunatics, Lovers and Poets:
Twelve Stories after Cervantes and Shakespeare
38
Yuri Herrera, The Transmigration of Bodies
translated from the Spanish by Lisa Dillman
39
César Aira, The Seamstress and the Wind
translated from the Spanish by Rosalie Knecht
40
Juan Pablo Villalobos,
I’ll Sell You a Dog
translated from the Spanish by Rosalind Harvey
41
Enrique Vila-Matas, Vampire in Love
translated from the Spanish by Margaret Jull Costa
42
Emmanuelle Pagano, Trysting
translated from the French by Jennifer Higgins and Sophie Lewis
43
Arno Geiger, The Old King in His Exile
translated from the German by Stefan Tobler
Susana Moreira Marques is a writer and journalist living in Lisbon. Between 2005 and 2010 Moreira Marques lived in London, working at the BBC. She has won several prizes for her journalism, including the 2012 UNESCO ‘Human Rights and Integration’ Journalism Award (Portugal). Now and at the Hour of Our Death is her first book.
Brazilian by birth, Julia Sanches has lived in the United States, Mexico, Switzerland, Scotland, and Catalonia. Her translations have appeared in Suelta, The Washington Review, Asymptote, Two Lines, and Revista Machado. She currently lives in New York City.