9 Neighbourhoods: Uniting the islands through a mapping of stories, voices and affections

9 Neighbourhoods is a digital publication created within the Ponta Delgada | Açores candidacy for the European Capital of Culture that was supported by all the municipalities of the archipelago with the aim of uniting the islands and those who are part of them – either because they were born in the islands or because they fell in love with them. The project emerged in 2021 under the Participation and Audience Development programme and featured hundreds of contents on the website https://www.azores2027.eu/pt/9-bairros/.

On 2nd March this year, a printed version of 9 Neighbourhoods, directed by Nuno Costa Santos, edited by Margarida Sodré and sub-edited by Sara Leal, was launched online and at Coliseu Micaelense. The publication has 57 pages of “Azoreanity” that embraces Europe and the world through chronicles, "scribbles", recipes, routes and a booklet of clouds.

The project director writes: "We have nine neighbourhoods, yes – each with its virtues and problems. Each has its own way of presenting and living both traditions and changes, but with too many rhymes to be considered different and contrasting districts." So, we put the 9 Neighbourhoods together and now make them accessible to everyone in pdf format. The magazine can be downloaded here.

Over the coming weeks, the printed version of the magazine will also be available on the 9 Azorean islands, in several public and private spaces, accessible for those who prefer to read with their hands on paper. It is time to whish you a Nice Journey!