Pessoa as avatar for Portugal's present woes

The Guardian looks into how the works of Fernando Pessoa, Portugal's most famous poet, reflect the mood of the financially troubled nation:

Pessoa died 75 years ago this week, but the famously glum author of the Book of Disquiet – whose central character exuded an air "born from the indifference of having suffered a great deal" – would recognise the wave of melancholy sweeping over his country.

"They talk of austerity, of self-control, and they appeal to our sense of sacrifice, so we pay tribute to the state of overall sadness," read the Manifesto Against the State of Overall Sadness by Nunes and fellow artists as they proclaimed the death of the arts in Portugal.

"They are cutting the arts budget by 23%, even though it represents only a tiny bit of overall spending," Nunes said. "I am trying to put together a show about the achievements of the Portuguese republic, which was born 100 years ago and brought with it liberty and great advances – but who will put it on now?"

It was not just artists who felt down. "What future? We have no future," said Bruno Silva, a young waiter at a bar beside Rossio railway station. "We must choose between feeding ourselves or paying our debts. We can't do both."