The finalists for the 6th edition of the New Playwriting Prize for Female Authors have been announced.

Companhia Cepa Torta is pleased to announce the three finalist works for the 6th edition of the New Playwriting Prize for Female Authors , an initiative that seeks to recognize, value and promote dramaturgy by female authors in the Portuguese language.

The 2026 edition marked a historic milestone: between January 1st and March 31st, we received 178 applications from various Portuguese-speaking countries, the highest number since the prize's inception. The diversity of proposals and the high quality of the submitted texts confirm the growing relevance of this initiative in the landscape of contemporary dramaturgy in the Portuguese language.

The selection was made by a jury composed of Francesca Claire Rayner, Sara Carinhas, and Sandro William Junqueira , who chose the following finalist works:

✨ Constança Bourgard — Mother's Love

✨ Lara Duarte — Cry Baby From Hell

✨ Raquel Castro de Souza — Sun on My Head

Next step

Over the next three months, the shortlisted authors will have access to an optional mentoring and dramaturgical development process, conducted in dialogue with the jury members. This period aims to create conditions for the deepening and development of the works before the final decision.

The winner of the 6th edition will be announced in early October 2026. The winning work will receive a cash prize of 1,000 euros , will be published as a book, and will be included in the program of the 10th season of the Festim de Leituras de Textos de Teatro – Esta noite grita-se.

The public reading of the winning work and the book launch will take place at the São Luiz Teatro Municipal in Lisbon on November 28 and 29, 2026 .

To all the authors who participated in this edition, we extend our gratitude for the trust placed in us for the award. To the three finalists, we congratulate them on this recognition and wish them an excellent work process in the coming months.

Want to know more about the finalists of this edition? Visit the New Playwriting Prize for Female Authors page and discover the journey of each author, as well as additional information about the works selected by the jury.