Portuguese

Collection overview

The collection forms part of the Romance Studies collections.

It is a relatively compact collection with a definite emphasis on the post-war period.

It includes material from Portuguese-speaking Africa, but not Latin America, since Brazilian Portuguese literature and material on Brazilian Portuguese are shelved with the Latin American and Caribbean Studies collection (see separate guide).

Collection strengths include:

Emphasis on literature, with primary texts collected mainly in the original language
A focus on contemporary authors
Good holdings in post-colonial literatures
Substantial holdings of related periodical literature and Special Collections material

See our latest acquisitions

Collection location

Most books are located on the 5th floor South Block
All items available on open access will display the location PORTUGUESE, with the classmark prefix 3 eg PORTUGUESE South Block 6th Floor (3) XRA Mat
Material on Brazilian Portuguese and Brazilian literature is located on the 6th floor South Block
All periodicals except the most recent isseus are now located in the Stack Service and need to requested via the Library catalogue.
Recent issues of periodicals are on display bays in the Periodicals Reading Room – 4th floor South Block . For more information on finding journals, see our journals resources page
Some items are held in the closed access stacks. These will display the location Stack Service. Please request at the Stack Service desk on the 4th floor South Block
To locate individual titles use the online catalogue

Related collections

Film and media collection - books on Portuguese film, DVDs in the DVD collection
History collection – Portuguese history and cultural history, Luso-phone African history
Latin America and Caribbean Studies collection – Portuguese language material from Brazil
Linguistics collection
English collection - comparative literature and literary theory
Palaeography and book history collections
Special Collections – including the Goldsmiths’ Library of Economic Literature (early economic history, colonial history, politics) and the Eliot-Phelips Collection
Dictionaries and reference works in the Goldsmiths Library, 4th floor South Block

Classmarks for Portuguese

All classmarks in this collection have a numerical prefix of 3 eg PORTUGUESE South Block 6th Floor (3) XRA Mat

Portuguese: XR

Portuguese language: XR-XRJ

Portuguese literature: XRL-X

Dictionaries: XR1

General history and criticism: XRL

Grammar: XRB

Poetry - general history and criticism: XRO

Language learning/textbooks: XRC

Drama - general history and criticism: XRP

Syntax: XRE

Medieval period: XRS

16th and 17th centuries: XR

18th and 19th centuries: XRU

20th century: XRV

Portuguese African literature: XRX

French-language material from Latin America and the Caribbean is shelved with the Latin American and Caribbean Studies collection

Brazilian Portuguese: PC5001-5498

Brazilian literature: PQ9000-9999

For a more detailed explanation of classmarks see the Library's leaflet 'A guide to the classification scheme' which can be downloaded here.

Other libraries

For more information about Portuguese holdings in other academic libraries in the London area, please consult the M25 Consortium of Higher Education Libraries website: www.m25lib.ac.uk. For elsewhere in the UK, consult the Consortium of University and Research Libraries catalogue: www.copac.ac.uk