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01:10:45 5 Views • Recorded: Sep 25, 2026

Exploring Critical Lives: Fernando Pessoa and Philosophy | Dr. Bartholomew Ryan | Authors in Conversation

Keynote Scholar / Speaker

Dr. Bartholomew Ryan

Research Professor of Philosophy at NOVA University of Lisbon

Tags: #s Fernando Pessoa #Fernando Pessoa philosophy #Fernando Pessoa biography #Critical Lives Fernando Pessoa #Bartholomew Ryan #Dr Bartholomew Ryan #Pessoa and Philosophy

Lecture Overview & Synopsis

What does it mean to be plural? What happens when a poet creates not merely characters, but entire selves?
In this episode of Authors in Conversation, Poorvam welcomes philosopher and musician Dr. Bartholomew Ryan, Research Professor of Philosophy at NOVA University of Lisbon, for a conversation on Fernando Pessoa, philosophy, biography, and the problem of identity.
Drawing on his book Critical Lives: Fernando Pessoa (Reaktion, 2024) and the co-edited volume Fernando Pessoa and Philosophy: Countless Lives Inhabit Us (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021), Dr. Ryan explores Pessoa's extraordinary world of heteronyms, philosophical pluralism, esotericism, literature, and the search for selfhood.
The conversation considers:
Fernando Pessoa and his heteronymic universe
The relationship between biography and philosophy
Pessoa's experiments with identity and authorship
The Book of Disquiet and Pessoa's unfinished literary world
Nihilism, transcendentalism and philosophical pluralism
Pessoa in dialogue with Indian philosophy, Daoism and Islamic thought
Esotericism, astrology and Pessoa's messianic vision
What Pessoa's multiple selves reveal about human existence
The session is moderated by Nilambar Chakrabarti, PhD Research Scholar at Jadavpur University, SYLFF Fellow and former Research Fellow at Smith College.
Authors in Conversation is an online seminar series hosted by Poorvam International Journal of Creative Arts and Cultural Expressions, bringing authors, scholars and thinkers into conversation around literature, philosophy, culture and the arts.
Speakers
Dr. Bartholomew Ryan
Research Professor of Philosophy, NOVA University of Lisbon
Author of Critical Lives: Fernando Pessoa and Kierkegaard’s Indirect Politics; co-editor of Fernando Pessoa and Philosophy: Countless Lives Inhabit Us.
Nilambar Chakrabarti
PhD Research Scholar, Jadavpur University
SYLFF Fellow; former Research Fellow, Smith College, South Asian Studies.
Event: Authors in Conversation
Topic: Exploring Critical Lives: Fernando Pessoa and Philosophy
Date: 20 September 2026
Time: 6:00 PM IST
Format: Online
Admission: Free
Hosted by: Poorvam International Journal of Creative Arts and Cultural Expressions
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by contributors, authors, guests, or users are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or opinions of Poorvam.

How to Cite this Lecture

APA 7th Edition

Dr. Bartholomew Ryan. (2026). Exploring Critical Lives: Fernando Pessoa and Philosophy | Dr. Bartholomew Ryan | Authors in Conversation [Video]. Poorvam Research Engine. https://www.poorvam.com/videos/exploring-critical-lives-fernando-pessoa-and-philosophy-dr-bartholomew-ryan-authors-in-conversation

BibTeX Entry

@misc{poorvam_video_8,
  author = {Dr. Bartholomew Ryan},
  title = {Exploring Critical Lives: Fernando Pessoa and Philosophy | Dr. Bartholomew Ryan | Authors in Conversation},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.poorvam.com/videos/exploring-critical-lives-fernando-pessoa-and-philosophy-dr-bartholomew-ryan-authors-in-conversation}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Poorvam Video Archive}
}