José de Sousa Saramago was a Portuguese writer, recognized for his significant contribution to literature, notably being awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature. The Nobel Prize celebrated his ability to "make comprehensible an elusory reality with parables supported by imagination, compassion, and irony." Saramago's narratives, often seen as allegories, typically offer subversive views on historic events, underscored by a theopoetic human element. His literary style is distinguished by a unique tone, narrating novels as if by someone both wise and naively curious. Esteemed literary critic Harold Bloom once heralded Saramago as "the most gifted novelist alive in the world today" and, upon Saramago's death, asserted that he remains "a permanent part of the Western canon." Fellow critic James Wood has lauded Saramago for the distinctiveness of his fiction's voice.

Saramago's works have reached a wide audience, with more than two million copies sold in Portugal alone and translations available in 25 languages. His political and ideological stances, including his critique of institutions such as the Catholic Church, the European Union, and the International Monetary Fund, alongside his advocacy for libertarian communism and atheism, have sparked debate. Notably, his novel The Gospel According to Jesus Christ was subjected to political censorship in Portugal, prompting Saramago to relocate to the Spanish island of Lanzarote, where he lived until his death. His commitment to literature extended beyond his own writing, as evidenced by his role as a founding member of the National Front for the Defense of Culture in Lisbon.

Among his most celebrated works are Country of Sin (1947), The Stone Raft (1986), and Baltasar and Blimunda, the latter marking his rise to prominence in his sixties. His expansive oeuvre, translated into over forty languages, continues to hold a revered place in global literature.