Pires was born in the Portuguese village of São João do Peso,[1] which is within the district of Castelo Branco near the border of Spain.

Pires connected to American writing styles at a time when Portugal looked to France (and somewhat to north-eastern Brazilian regionalism) for its narrative models.

In a documentary produced for Portuguese television, Pires spoke about how after he saw his first film as a boy, it led him to seek refuge in cinemas.

These generally left-leaning associations, in his words, "contributed to the political and social education of many people.

[1] His 1997 memoir, De Profundis, was inspired by the experience of suffering a brain ischemia a couple years prior.