Distinctions

José Saramago's work has been distinguished in several countries, with several prizes, including the Luís de Camões Prize in 1995 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998.

"which, with parables bearing imagination, compassion and irony, makes a fleeting reality constantly comprehensible"

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1979
Award from the Portuguese Critics Association — Best Theater Play, performed in 1979 by A Noite. Portugal.

1981
City of Lisbon Award, for Levante do Chão. Portugal.

1982
Pen Clube Award, for Memorial do Convento. Portugal.
Literary Prize of the Municipality of Lisbon, for Memorial do Convento. Portugal.

1984
Critics Award from the Portuguese Center of the International Association of Literary Critics, for the body of his work. Portugal.
Critics Award from the Portuguese Center of the International Association of Literary Critics, for The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis. Portugal.

1985
Pen Clube Award, for The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis. Portugal.
Critics Award from the Portuguese Association of Literary Critics, for The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis. Portugal.

1986
Dom Dinis Award from the Fundação da Casa de Mateus, for The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis. Portugal.

1987
Grinzane-Cavour Award, for The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis. Italy.

1991
Grand Prize for Novel and Novel of the Portuguese Writers Association, for The Gospel According to Jesus Christ. Portugal.

1992
International Ennio Flaiano Award for Levante do Chão, in Pescara. Italy.
Brancatti Prize, in Zafferana, for his work as a whole. Italy.
Mondello International Literary Prize, in Palermo, for his body of work. Italy.

1993
The Independent Foreign Fiction Award, for The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis. UK.
Grand Prize for Theater of the Portuguese Association of Writers, for In Nomine Dei. Portugal.
Life Literary Award from the Portuguese Writers Association, for his work as a whole. Portugal.

1995
Camões Award, for his work as a whole. Portugal.
Career Consecration Award from the Portuguese Society of Authors, for his work as a whole. Portugal.

1996
Rosalía de Castro Award from the Pen Clube Award (Galicia), for her work as a whole. Spain.

1998
Nobel Prize for Literature, for his work as a whole. Sweden.
Archbishop Juan de San Clemente Prize for Essay on Blindness. Spain.
Jordi Xifra Heras European Communication Award, from Girona, for his work as a whole. Spain.
National Prize for Narrative Città di Pienne, for his work as a whole. Italy.
Scanno Award from the Gabriele d'Annunzio University, for Object Almost. Italy.
International Narrative Award Città di Penne-Mosca, for his work as a whole. Italy.

2001
International Canary Islands Prize by the Government of the Canary Islands, for his work as a whole. Spain.

2006
Dolores Ibárruri Award, for her work as a whole. Spain.

2009
Award to the CajaGranada International Cooperation, Grenada, for his work as a whole. Spain.

1990
University of Turin. Italy.

1991
University of Seville. Spain.

1995
University of Manchester. UK.

1997
University of Castilla-La Mancha. Spain.
University of Brasilia. Brazil.

1999
Évora University. Brazil.
University of Nottingham. UK.
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Brasil.
University of Minas Gerais. Brazil.
Federal University of Santa Catarina. Brazil.
Universidade Federal Fluminense. Brasil.
University of Massachusetts. USA.
University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Spain.
Polytechnic University of Valencia. Spain.
Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Brazil.
Fluminense University. Brazil.
University of Michel de Montaigne. France.
Refuses the Doctorate Honoris Causa from the Federal University of Pará. Brazil.

2000
University of Santiago de Chile. Chile.
University of the Republic, Montevideo. Uruguay.
University of Salamanca. Spain.

2001
University of Grenada. Spain.
University of Rome Tre. Italy.

2002
Siena University for Foreigners. Italy.

2003
Carlos III University. Spain.
University of Buenos Aires. Argentina.
Universidade Autónoma do Estado do México. México.
Juaréz Autonomous University of Tabasco. Mexico.

2004
Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Coimbra. Portugal.
Charles de Gaulle University, Lille. France.
University of Alicante. Spain.

2005
University of Alberta. Canada.
National University of El Salvador. El Salvador.
National University of San José. Costa Rica.
National University of Comahue. Argentina.
Stockholm University. Sweden.

2006
University of Dublin. Ireland.

2007
Autonomous University of Madrid. Spain.

2010
Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. Hungary.

1985
Commander of the Military Order of Santiago de Espada. Portugal.
President of the General Assembly of the Portuguese Society of Authors. Portugal.

1991
Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.France.

1992
Member of the National Front for the Defense of Culture. Portugal.

1993
Member of the International Parliament of Writers. France.
Member of the Universal Academy of Cultures. France.

1994
It integrates the Universal Academy of Cultures, based in Paris. France.
Corresponding Member of the Argentine Academy of Letters. Argentina.
Member of the Honorary Patronage of the César Manrique Foundation, Lanzarote. Spain.
Honorary Member of the Portuguese Society of Authors. Portugal.
Medal of Instruction and Art of the Federation of Culture and Recreation Collectivities. Portugal.

1996
Medal of the City of the Municipality of Golegã. Portugal.

1997
Adoptive Son of the Municipality of Castril. Spain.
Adopted Son of the Island of Lanzarote by the Cabildo de Lanzarote. Spain.
Beca de Honra from the Student Residence at Carlos III University. Spain.

1998
Member of the European Academy of Yuste, occupying the Rembrandt Chair. Spain.
Emeritus Reader of the National Library of Portugal. Portugal.
Gold Medal of Merit by the Porto City Council. Portugal.
Great Necklace of the Order of Santiago da Espada. Portugal.
Corresponding Member of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences. Portugal.
Honorary Member of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences. Portugal.
Member of the Honor Committee of the Academy of the Mediterranean. Italy.

1999
Honorary Sporting Member of Sport Lisboa e Benfica. Portugal.
Adoptive Son of Tías, Lanzarote. Spain.
Medal of Honor from the Menéndez Pelayo International University. Spain.
Gold Medal from the University of Coimbra. Portugal.
Officer of the Legion of Honor (Croix d'Officer de la Légion d'Honneur). France.

2000
Gold Medal of the Government of the Canary Islands. Spain.
Honorary President of the Son Latinos Festival. Spain.
Gold Medal of the International Confederation of Authors' Societies, awarded in Chile.
Member of the International Academy of Humanism. USA.

2001
Distinguished Visitor of São Domingos. Dominican Republic.
Honorary Coordinating Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria. Portugal.
Cuenca World Heritage Medal. Spain.
Honorary Member of the Academy of Sciences and Television Arts. Spain.

2002
Grand Cross of the Order of the Canary Islands. Spain.

2003
Rectoral Medal of the University of Chile. Chile.
Honorary Scholar of the Canary Language Academy, Lanzarote. Spain.
Golden Keys of the City of Pinhel. Portugal.
Honorary President of the Alonso Quijano Foundation, Malaga. Spain.
Honorary Member of the Association of Friends of the Saharawi People of Seville. Spain.
Member of the Honor Committee of the Rafael Alberti Foundation, Cádiz. Spain.

2004
Isidro Fabela Medal from the Faculty of Law of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Mexico.
Guayasamín-Unesco Medal by the Guayasamín Foundation. Ecuador.
Distinguished Guest of Quito. Ecuador.
Grand Cross of Cultural and Literary Merit by the National Congress. Ecuador.
Grand Cross of Educational and Cultural Merit “Juan Montalvo” by the Ministry of Education, Quito. Ecuador.
General Rumiñahui Medal by the Municipal Government of Pichincha. Ecuador.
Honorary Member of the Council of the Institute of Philosophy and Law and of Historical-Political Studies at the University of Pisa. Italy.
Honorable Citizen of the City of Pisa. Italy.
Honorary Member of Colégio Máximo das Academies. Colombia.
Honorary Member of the Supreme Council of Academies. Colombia.
Honorary Member of the Instituto Caro y Cuervo de Bogotá. Colombia.
Honorary Member of the National Center for Culture. Portugal.
Member of the European Academy of Arts and Letters Sciences. Austria.
Key to the City of Santiago de León de Caracas. Venezuela.
Distinguished Visitor to the City of Santiago de León de Caracas. Venezuela.
Honorary Member of the Advisory Board of the Brussels Court.
Member of the UNESCO Council for the Future. France.

2005
Distinguished Visitor of San José de Costa Rica. Costa Rica.
Member of the Academy of Lanity. Brazil.

2006
Adoptive Son of the Province of Granada. Spain.
Member of the Baketik Advisory Committee. Basque country. Spain.

2007
Favorite Son of Andalusia. Spain.
Honorary President of the José Saramago Foundation. Portugal.
Save the Children Award by the NGO Save the Children.Argentina.
Medal of Merit — Gold Degree from the Mafra City Council. Portugal.
Honorary Member of the Press Association of Seville. Spain.

2009
Corresponding Member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, with Chair No. 16, whose patron is José Bonifácio de Andrade e Silva

2021
Grande Colar da Ordem de Camões (a título póstumo)