Samuel Lamanite Editions

In order to promote and develop Mormon literature in Portuguese, we are pleased to announce the first Parley P. Pratt Mormon Short Story Contest. Starting April 1st, Mormons who write in Portuguese will be able to submit their writing to compete for publication and prizes totaling R$1,000 (Brazilian Reais – approximately $500 or EUR 400).

The contest is the first attempt to encourage development of Mormon literature in Portuguese. Although there have been Portuguese-speaking LDS Church members since the 1940s. Only in the past two decades has the number of members become large enough to see local Mormon culture develop. With a large enough audience, it is now time to see what Portuguese-speakers can produce.

Those interested in writing can submit their stories starting April 1st, and before July 1st. The winners of the contest and those stories that have been selected for inclusion in a published anthology of the best stories will be announced on October 1st. The anthology should be available starting December 1st.

The contest is open to anyone, and each contestant can submit up to three stories of up to 10,000 words, however entries must be written in Portuguese and must have some kind of connection to Mormonism. A three person jury will judge the entries and select both those who will receive cash prizes and those stories that will be included in the anthology. The organizers and the jury and their families are ineligible. [Please read the full rules (in Portuguese) before submitting an entry.]

We are pleased to announce the formation of Samuel Lamanite Editions, a book publisher dedicated to encouraging and publishing works for the LDS audience in Spanish and Portuguese. To meet our goals, Samuel Lamanite Editions is issuing a call for manuscripts that are written in either Spanish or Portuguese. With these manuscripts, Samuel Lamanite Editions hopes to publish two to four titles each year in these languages, and eventually translate the best of these works into English.

The growth of LDS Church membership among Spanish and Portuguese speakers means that these groups now account for more than 40% of Church membership. Yet the number of book titles that have been published in these languages to date is a fraction — less than hundred — of the estimated 25,000 to 40,000 Mormon titles published to date. This publishing program is an attempt to rectify this discrepancy, and encourage the growth of a Mormon culture among these growing groups of the worldwide Mormon population.