Hatherly’s career as a writer began in 1958 with the publication of Um Ritmo Perdido, a collection of poems. Her interest in the visual aspects of poetry is apparent even in these early works. She would continue to explore and develop this interest, eventually successfully exploring strictly visual mediums of art, such as painting. She has held showcases of her visual works, some of which are still on display at several museums of Portuguese Contemporary Art. She has also made several films and is an accomplished translator.
Hatherly has published over twenty collections of her poetry, which have been translated not only into many European languages, but also into Japanese and Chinese. She currently lives in Lisbon, where she is Professor Emeritus at the New University of Lisbon. (Source: Prague Writers' Festival homepage)