At the age of 17 she began her professional life at an advertising agency, carrying out functions similar to those of the poet and writer Fernando Pessoa who had worked earlier for the same company.

In 1963 she was one of the founders of a new magazine, called O Tempo e O Modo, which opposed the prevailing Estado Novo regime, aiming to open up new political, cultural, literary and artistic horizons in Portugal.

[1][2][3][4] Later, Vaz da Silva returned to studying journalism and sociology at the University of Vincennes in Paris, where she witnessed the workers' and students' protests of May 68.

After her return to Lisbon she briefly worked for a tourism company in the Algarve before joining the Expresso newspaper and also directing political and social programs of the national broadcaster, RTP.

[1][4][5] In 1979, Vaz da Silva became president of the Centro Nacional de Cultura (National Culture Centre - CNC), a position she occupied until her death.

Recipients have been Claudio Magris, Orhan Pamuk, Jordi Savall, Eduardo Lourenço, Wim Wenders, Bettany Hughes, Fabiola Gianotti and José Tolentino Mendonça.