Mia Couto facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mia Couto
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Mia Couto at Fronteiras do Pensamento (2014)
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| Born | António Emílio Leite Couto 5 July 1955 Beira, Mozambique |
| Occupation | Biologist and writer |
| Nationality | Mozambican |
| Period | Colonial & Post-colonial Africa |
| Genre | Animist realism, historical fiction |
António Emílio Leite Couto, known to the world as Mia Couto (born 5 July 1955), is a famous writer from Mozambique. He won the important Camões Prize in 2013, which is the top award for books written in Portuguese. He also received the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 2014.
Contents
Life Story
Growing Up in Mozambique
Mia Couto was born and grew up in Beira, Mozambique. This city is the third largest in his country. His parents were from Portugal and moved to Mozambique in the 1950s. At that time, Mozambique was a colony of Portugal.
When he was 14, some of his poems were printed in a local newspaper. In 1971, at age 17, he moved to the capital city, Lourenço Marques (now Maputo). There, he started studying medicine at the University of Lourenço Marques. During these years, a group called FRELIMO was fighting to end Portugal's rule over Mozambique.
After Mozambique Became Independent
In April 1974, a big change happened in Portugal called the Carnation Revolution. This event led to the end of the old government there. Soon after, Mozambique was ready to become an independent country.
In 1974, FRELIMO asked Mia Couto to pause his studies. He worked as a journalist for a newspaper called Tribuna. Later, he became the director of the new Mozambique Information Agency (AIM). He also managed Tempo magazine until 1981.
His first book of poems, Raiz de Orvalho, came out in 1983. It included writings that spoke against the strong political messages of the time. Mia Couto kept working for the newspaper Notícias until 1985. Then, he left to finish his biology degree.
His Amazing Books and Awards
Mia Couto is seen as one of Mozambique's most important writers. His books have been published in over 20 countries and many different languages.
In his stories, he often mixes the Portuguese language with words and ways of speaking from Mozambique. This creates a fresh and unique style for African storytelling. His writing style is a bit like "magical realism". This is a style where magical things happen in a real-world setting. It was popular in Latin American literature. His use of language reminds some people of the Brazilian writer João Guimarães Rosa.
Mia Couto is also known for making up his own proverbs, which he sometimes calls "improverbs." He also uses riddles, old legends, and metaphors in his work. This gives his writing a very poetic feel.
His first novel, Sleepwalking Land, was chosen as one of the best 12 African books of the 20th century. This was decided by a group of international judges at the Zimbabwe International Book Fair. In 2007, he became the first African writer to win the special Latin Union literary prize. This award has been given out every year in Italy since 1990. Mia Couto was only the fourth writer in the Portuguese language to receive this honor.
Today, he works as a biologist at the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. He also continues to write new books and stories. In 1998, Mia Couto was chosen to join the Brazilian Academy of Letters. He was the first African writer ever to get this honor.
Awards and Honours
- 2007 Latin Union Prize
- 2013 Camões Prize
- 2014 Neustadt International Prize for Literature
- 2024 FIL de Literatura en Lenguas Romances
Books
- Raiz do Orvalho (poetry, 1983)
- Vozes Anoitecidas (short stories, 1986)
- Cada Homem É uma Raça (short stories, 1990)
- Cronicando (chronicles, 1991)
- Terra Sonâmbula (novel, 1992)
- Estórias Abensonhadas (short stories, 1994)
- A Varanda do Frangipani (novel, 1996)
- Contos do Nascer da Terra (short stories, 1997)
- Mar Me Quer (novella, 1998)
- Vinte e Zinco (novella, 1999)
- Raiz de orvalho e outros poemas (1999)
- O Último Voo do Flamingo (novel, 2000)
- Mar me quer (2000)
- O Gato e o Escuro (children's book, 2001)
- Na Berma de Nenhuma Estrada e Outros Contos (short stories, 2001)
- Um Rio Chamado Tempo, uma Casa Chamada Terra (novel, 2002)
- Contos do Nascer da Terra (short stories, 2002)
- O País do Queixa Andar (chronicles, 2003)
- O Fio das Missangas (short stories, 2003)
- A chuva pasmada (2004)
- Pensatempos: textos de opinião (2005)
- O Outro Pé da Sereia (novel, 2006)
- Venenos de Deus, Remédios do Diabo (novel, 2008)
- Jesusalém (novel, 2009)
- A Confissão da Leoa (novel, 2012)
- As Areias do Imperador (Sands of the Emperor) trilogy:
- Mulheres de cinzas (2015)
- A Espada e a Azagaia (2016)
- O Bebedor de Horizontes (2018)
Compilations in English
- Every Man Is a Race (1994)
- Sea Loves Me: Selected Stories (2021)
See also
In Spanish: Mia Couto para niños
