The mission is to find the right story for the right person

On Storyteller’s Day, Nuno went from bookseller to writer. In a live episode of Palavrão — the podcast of Livraria Lello Porto — the author presents his debut novel, “O Lugar na Terra da Rapariga Impossível”, published by the bookstore where he has worked for eight years. With this publication, Livraria Lello strengthens its commitment to publishing Portuguese authors and proves that investing in in-house talent is worthwhile.

Nuno Joanaz de Melo is a reader turned bookseller. A bookseller turned writer. A storyteller now published by Livraria Lello Porto. For Nuno, it makes perfect sense to release his book on Storyteller’s Day. “When I found out my book would be launched on this day, I said it had to happen. It’s the perfect day because the narrator’s name in the book is Storyteller. What defines this character is telling stories, and there’s a lot of me in Teller,” he says.

“I believe that any writer who says there isn’t a bit of themselves in their work is lying. They might be lying to the audience or to themselves. But they’re lying. What we write is a sharing of who we are. So it’s inevitable that we leave a little piece of ourselves between the two covers,” the author shares in the live episode of Palavrão.

“My sister was my first reader”

When Nuno was a child, he used to tell stories to entertain his cousins. Without realizing it, that’s when he began writing his book. “My instinct for storytelling came from wanting to pull my cousin away from the TV. (laughs) I was 12, my cousin was five, and we watched the same VHS tapes on loop. My sister was my first reader. There’s a bit of them in my book because of that,” he recalls.

A bookstore publishing a book by one of its own booksellers is an unprecedented gesture. Livraria Lello embraced the publication of Nuno’s debut, showing that it values the talent within its teams and encouraging the growth of those who bring the bookstore to life every day.

After so many years of writing, Nuno’s first book is now in the hands of readers. “O Lugar na Terra da Rapariga Impossível” is the first book of a tetralogy envisioned by the author, who shared how he sought guidance from the bookstore’s administrator:
“Dr. Aurora saw me arrive here at 25. I was just a kid. Since I originally wrote the book in English, I translated it into Portuguese. When I finished, I told Dr. Aurora I’d like to speak with her—not to push the book on her, but because she was the closest person who could give me advice. What happened was that Dr. Aurora decided to publish my book,” he recalls, amused and satisfied.

A book about discovering our place

After being deeply involved in every stage of the book’s production — from editing and proofreading to cover design and even illustration — the book now belongs to its readers:
“O Lugar na Terra da Rapariga Impossível is about discovering our place, even if our life might seem impossible. There’s a young woman who always knew she didn’t belong where she was. And there’s a boy who will reveal a new world to her. A bigger world. A world where everything might become possible,” the author reveals.

Nuno shared with the audience, which filled Livraria Lello Porto for the launch, that his parents always ensured there were books at home. “There was a book on each of our bedside tables. We had no reason to complain. I don’t remember books not being part of my life.”

He also recalls a defining moment in writing the book:
“My wife, Catarina, gave me a gift—a notebook with a message: ‘Stop talking about the book and write it.’ That night, in 2015, I wrote the first sentence: ‘First of all, I should warn you. This is a love story, and I apologize for that.’”

“I fell in love with being a bookseller”

Being a bookseller turned out to be the perfect profession for Nuno. It all began when he got engaged at 25. He had moved from Setúbal to Porto to study Literature.
“I didn’t expect to find a job before finishing my degree. Then the opportunity to work at Livraria Lello Porto came up, and I fell in love with the profession. I realized it fits me like a glove.”

Surrounded by books every day, Nuno says he sees a sparkle in visitors’ eyes when they leave with a book — though connecting the right book to the right reader isn’t always easy:
“A bookseller’s main mission is to find the right story for the right person. That’s not always simple. We’re avid readers, and it’s a big challenge to set aside our own tastes to choose the best book for the person in front of us. That’s the greatest challenge. We can be selfish and want everyone to love what we love, but we forget that no one is the same as us.”

So booksellers must set aside their personal preferences:
“It’s magical when we meet someone for whom we are the perfect bookseller. At Livraria Lello Porto, there are never dull days. There are touching stories, like marriage proposals, and also funny ones. Once, a visitor took a photo of me with flash right in my face and said: ‘You look like a writer.’ I replied: ‘Thank you. Flash is not allowed’ (laughs). That was six years ago, and it’s still funny.”

Stoker, Wilde and Pratchett: Nuno’s favorites

When it comes to recommending books, Nuno often suggests Dracula by Bram Stoker:
“It’s usually my answer when people ask for my favorite book. It’s a fascinating story about the many facets of evil, including the seductive ones. The book is entirely narrated by its characters—and when you read my book, you’ll understand why that fascinates me.”

Another favorite is The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde:
“It’s his only novel. He masters the English language in a magical way. It deals with themes I love: horror connected to fantasy.”

Before a final emotional moment — when Nuno pays tribute to Lídia Jorge by gifting her a signed copy — he explains his fascination with fantasy literature:
“The books that impacted me most use fantasy to explain something we didn’t know about ourselves. I wrote my master’s thesis on this. Terry Pratchett fascinates me the most. He uses fantasy, satire, and humor to show us our world differently. Storytellers don’t just show us magical worlds—they show us our own world in a new light.”

And what can fantasy teach us?
“Everything. Fantasy shows us reality in unexpected, sometimes absurd ways. You don’t expect to find so much reality in such magical worlds. That’s what I want to do. One of my goals is to explore the power of stories.”

To close the live episode, Nuno Joanaz de Melo performed again with the Grupo de Fados Literatus, playing “Reminiscências de Liberdade” and “Baldada de Despedida de Letras de 2016.” The performance is available in the Palavrão episode.