Development Studies Book Club on African Literatures celebrates 50 years of African Independences
The CEsA – Centre for African and Development Studies (ISEG Research) will launch its first book club in March 2025, under the Development Studies theme and coordinated by Susana Brissos, assistant Professor at ISEG – University of Lisbon.
The Development Studies Book Club on African Literatures was created to mark 50 years of African Independences, beginning with the reading of Nós, os do Makulusu by Angolan author José Luandino Vieira and Terra Sonâmbula by Mozambican author Mia Couto – two of the most prominent contemporary Portuguese-language writers.
The inaugural sessions will take place on 31 March and 23 April, always at 4:30 p.m., in Room 209, Francesinhas 1 Building – ISEG (Entrance via Rua das Francesinhas, 1200-731 Lisbon, Portugal). Participation is free, and discussions will be held in Portuguese.
Development Studies Reading Club on African Literatures
31 March 2025, 4:30 p.m., Room 209 – Francesinhas 1, ISEG: Nós, os do Makulusu (José Luandino Vieira, Angola)
23 April 2025, 4:30 p.m., Room 209 – Francesinhas 1, ISEG: Terra Sonâmbula (Mia Couto, Mozambique)
Synopsis of the book Nós, os do Makulusu (José Luandino Vieira, Angola)
Written in 1967 in the Tarrafal concentration camp (renamed Chão Bom Labour Camp) in just one week — “in one single breath,” as the author himself described it — Nós, os do Makulusu remains José Luandino Vieira’s most complex work in its construction of a literary language rooted in the popular speech of Luanda and the interplay between Portuguese and Kimbundu. This complexity is further deepened by the way the narrative, alongside the ever-present flow of the past— a hallmark of all his works—also brings the future into the story, in a clearly prospective form.
A narrative whose subject, questioning himself to the very last line, ultimately reflects an entire generation facing the historical necessity of a war of liberation — both individual and collective — a generation tasked with questioning the past and imagining the future. Concluding with an open-ended interrogation of that future, the novel remains more relevant today than at the time of its writing. The answer to its final question is still unresolved.
Synopsis of the book Terra Sonâmbula (Mia Couto, Moçambique)
The first novel by Mozambican writer Mia Couto, already well known and appreciated by Portuguese readers, Terra Sonâmbula is set against the backdrop of Mozambique’s war, painting a harsh and brutal portrait of its realities. Within this nightmarish landscape, deeply human characters move — some imbued with magical and mythical dimensions — all wandering across a devastated land, caught between profound despair and an unyielding hope.
Terra Sonâmbula is an extraordinary novel, undoubtedly one of the finest literary works written in Portuguese in recent years. It was recognised as one of the greatest African books of the 20th century.
About the Development Studies Book Club
The project aims to create an open and creative space for dialogue among those interested in exploring, deepening their knowledge, and discussing perspectives on African Literatures. The idea is to focus on literature produced in Portuguese within the CPLP countries, with the possibility of eventually expanding to other African and Latin American authors.
The club is coordinated by researcher Susana Brissos (CEsA/ISEG RESEARCH/ISEG/University of Lisbon) and supported by CEsA (ISEG RESEARCH/ISEG/University of Lisbon).
Author: CEsA Communication (comunicacao@cesa.iseg.ulisboa.pt)
Images: CEsA/Reproduction
