Exploring language, memory, and belonging through poetry, fiction, and literary translation.

Hugo dos Santos is the author of Reduction in Force (Bauhan Publishing, 2026), winner of the May Sarter New Hampshire Poetry Prize, and Then, there (Spuyten Duyvil, 2019), a collection of Newark stories. He is the translator of Homecoming (Arquipelago Press, 2024) and A Child in Ruins (Writ Large Press, 2016), a staff pick at the Paris Review Daily. Born in Lisboa, Portugal, and raised in Newark, New Jersey, he writes toward questions of diaspora, belonging, and memory.

 
Read Full bio
 

featured works

  • Read "We never said she was a maid," from DMQ Review in Fall 2016 (in PDF) — Nominee, Pushcart Prize 

  • Read "Borders," fiction from the collection Then, there (in PDF)

  • Read five poems, from A Child in Ruins, by José Luís Peixoto and translated by Hugo Dos Santos (in PDF)

Read my work
Latest News
 

News & Buzz

  • Reduction in Force, by Hugo dos Santos, won the May Sarter New Hampshire Poetry Prize, selected by Anthony Walton. It will be published by Bauhan Publishing.

    Read the full announcement here.

  • “Homecoming, translated by Hugo dos Santos (Arquipélago Press, 2024), is a collection of poetry that oscillates between different genres; it is poetry, it is travelogue, it is autobiographical creative nonfiction, it is deeply reflective philosophical inquiry.“

    Read the full article here.

    A huge thank you to Irene Marques for this generous review.

  • I will be teaching a workshop and running tutorial sessions at the 32nd Annual Winter Poetry and Prose Getaway by Murphy Writing of Stockton University, Jan 16-19, 2026.

    Read the full description here.

View all updates
 

  • January 16-19, 2026, Atlantic City area, NJ.

    Murphy Writing of Stockton University

    Advance your craft and energize your writing. Enjoy challenging and supportive workshops, insightful feedback and an encouraging community. Choose from workshops in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, songwriting and storytelling. Early registration discounts and scholarships available.

    Learn more and register: stockton.edu/wintergetaway

  • See the Events page for the full description

  • DescriptionApril 23 - May 21, 2025

    Led by Hugo dos Santos
    Limited to 12 participants

    In this five-week creative nonfiction workshop, we will experiment with form, voice and structure to craft compelling narratives from our lives. Each week, you will receive an online lesson featuring curated readings, craft discussions and generative prompts designed to unearth the moments that demand to be told. We will engage with memoir techniques, from lyrical and braided essays to episodic and nonlinear storytelling. Whether you are beginning your writing journey or deepening a project already in progress, this workshop will provide the support and inspiration to transform lived experience into powerful storytelling.

    “Everything about the workshop exceeded my expectations.”

    ~ Laurel, New York, NY

    “I generated so much work in only five sessions. The assigned readings inspired and broadened my writing and creative methods.”

    ~ Kate, New York, NY text goes here

see all events