Brief Notes on the Trajectory of A Sementeira

The first issue of A Sementeira came off the printers in September 1908. On the first page, headlined by the title ‘Ao aparecer’, the presentation text left little doubts on the mission of the ‘Publicação Mensal Ilustrada – Crítica e Sociología’. In it, we learned that:

‘A Sementeira, an aeroplane of ideas, flying over every economic, political, and religious lies, conquering every obstacle that stands in its way, will not be diverted from the goal of an evangelising mission: to propagate ideas, to define principles, the same principles so often deformed and that have always hanged over all cerebral miseries of many a popular propagandist, principles defended and propagated by Reclus, Kropotkin, Grave, Malato, Malatesta, Ibsen, Hamon, etc., principles that will surely lead us to a new, free, and mutually agreed-upon society.’

The publication was born in Lisbon and its proprietor and editor was arsenal worker Hilário Marques. Some of the important anarchists of the time committed to the execution of the graphic project, the production of texts, and the translations. Among them we find Neno Vasco, Ismael Pimentel, José Luís, Emílio Costa, Bento Faria, César Porto, Adolfo Lima, Sobral de Campos, Campos Lima, José Carlos de Sousa, Bel-Adam (an alias for Severino de Carvalho), and others still.

It is clear that A Sementeira takes on the task of divulging anarchist doctrine and its propaganda, emphasizing the interpretation of national and international events from that prism. The numerous biographical notes, together with the translations and opinion pieces, strive toward the clarification of the ideological principles of anarchism; always in an organizational practical sense, devoted to the social redemption of the exploited and the oppressed. A concern to inaugurate effective mechanisms for spreading the spirit of rebellion, a type of ‘radical erudition’ that might be used in moments of political and social rupture, is also present. Even though different issues appear throughout the publication, depending on influences and contexts, the doctrinarian line is hardly affected; it is, in fact, the magazine’s main element of identity.

Historical facts and libertarian anniversaries are treated from the same perspective, serving the same purpose. The case of its iconography is no different; its permanent presence, while more visible in some issues than in others, is always aligned with the general protocol of social transformation. As João Freire rightly points out, the preferences of the men in charge of the magazine’s content tend to follow anarchist communism, more so that individualism or trade unionism. This realisation is not uncommon when considering their context, where care with doctrinarian dissemination prevailed.

Among the theorists, Errico Malatesta stands out, especially after Neno Vasco’s return to Portugal, in 1911. In addition to being an incredibly erudite translator, Vasco also shines as an original thinker, as one of the sharpest men of doctrine of his time. From the pages of A Sementeira, he guides anarchists in the difficult task of diligently acting upon the trade unions, never resting for a moment from the task of socially inserting the anarchist ideology. Also his are the theatre, literature, and revolutionary songbook columns, as well as being responsible for the promotion of propaganda brochures, annexed editions, and bibliographical data for recently published books. Together with Lima da Costa, Neno Vasco started a collection of publications called ‘A Brochura Social’ that, notwithstanding its importance, did not succeed in gathering all necessary material resources for an effective circulation, even with the support of Sobral de Campos and Aurélio Quintanilha.

The worker question is, by far, the most frequent subject in the magazine. Strikes and everyday labour matters are recurrent important topics, even if the revolts occurring around the world are never forgotten. The editors, however, do not confuse the worker movement with unionism; they outline the difference by considering unionism solely as a method. While heavily influenced by the prestige of revolutionary unionism, notably its French current, it is clear the A Sementeira’s main role is to divulge anarchism; while emphasizing doctrine, the periodical reflects the typical libertarian duality of not separating the social and political spheres, by evidencing the need to insert libertarians in the social struggle arena.

Consequently, both republicans and many anarchist ‘turncoats’ were relentlessly attacked in the magazine’s pages. The group of editors, composed of the previously mentioned figures, seemed to know no boundaries for combatting anything that represented a threat to the general project of diffusing their ideas. Even though they lacked the cohesion of a political affinities group, their articulation was efficient, enabling a dynamic that allowed the periodical’s continuation; an ‘informality’ that could well explain the proximity of sympathisers, particularly those that took charge of graphic services, guaranteed meeting locations, and much more.

Of the magazine’s circulation, it should be noted that it was both possible to purchase it for the cover price and through a subscription. The number of pages varied, as did the amount for which it was sold. Interested readers could find A Sementeira in trade unions, the offices of anarchist groups, and in kiosks and shops in Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra, mostly. There were also some subscribers in Brazil and in different parts of Africa and America. In addition, the Lisbon-based editors helped with the distribution of other Northern anarchist publications, such as A Vida and A Aurora.

We can state that A Sementeira always remained on the side of revolutionary and social struggle. That was the case on 5th October 1910, and with the events of Soviet Russia, in 1917. During the Great War (1914-1918) the magazine adopted a mostly ‘anti-war’ position, joining the international current led by Malatesta. Its pages revealed the anarchist communist, but not exclusivist, preference of most of its editors. For all these reasons, it left an indelible mark on the Portuguese language libertarian movement.

Alexandre Samis