“Terra Vulcão”: Drawing on the experiences and writings of Paulo Valverde, this work explores the relationship between the world of the living and the world of spirits in São Tomé and Príncipe, revealing the continuous presence of souls in everyday life and the ways in which these presences influence Santomean life. It offers a careful look at the connection between visible and invisible realities, and at how they coexist within human experience.

On the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, there is no rigid separation between the spirit world and the world of the living; there is a widespread belief in souls with the power to intervene in the world and exert material effects on the day-to-day lives of the population. “Terra Vulcão” arises from a reflection on the connection between these two worlds, grounded in the texts and experiences of Paulo Valverde, a professor and anthropologist who died as a consequence of malaria contracted in São Tomé. His writings were posthumously compiled by João de Pina Cabral in the book Máscara, Mato e Morte: Textos para uma etnografia de São Tomé, Celta Editora (2000), becoming an essential legacy for a profound analysis of Santomean society and its multidimensionality.