Mozambican writer Lucílio Manjate wins Eduardo Costley-White literary prize

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Mozambican writer Lucílio Manjate wins Eduardo Costley-White literary prize

1:05 CAT | 13 Mar 2017

File photo / Lucilio Manjate

Mozambican writer Lucílio Manjate has won the first edition of the Eduardo Costley-White literary prize with his work “Rabhia”, the Portuguese-American Development Foundation (FLAD) announced today.

A total of 34 writers from Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe entered the first Eduardo Costley-White competition, which is designed to promote new Portuguese-speaking African talent.

The prize is organised in partnership with publisher Edições Esgotadas. The winner has his or her book published and receives a cash prize of EUR 10,000.

“In addition to deepening the relationship between Portugal and the United States, FLAD is committed to co-operating with Portuguese-speaking African countries. This award shows this commitment to the dissemination of the Portuguese language and the promotion of new literary talents,” a press release by FLAD president Vasco Rato sent to Lusa declares.

The Mozambican writer Mia Couto was the president of the first competition jury, which considered applications from all the Portuguese-speaking African countries.

“The response to this award leaves us very satisfied. That and the high quality of the texts motivates us to deepen our commitment in Africa,” FLAD Africa Program director Bruno Ventura said.

The award ceremony will take place this afternoon at FLAD headquarters in Lisbon, with FLAD president Vasco Rato and jury president Mia Couto attending.

The award, whose creation was announced a year ago, is named after Eduardo Costley-White, a Mozambican writer who died at age 50 in 2014. Costley-White was born in Quelimane, Zambezia province, the son of a Portuguese mother and an English father, and began publishing in 1984 with his work, “Amar Sobre O Índico”.

In 2001, the Mozambican Press Association named him the literary figure of the year and an anthology of his poetic work “O Libreto Da Miséria” won the 2012 BCI Prize for Literature.

Costley-White’s works include “Homoíne”, “O País De Mim” (My Country), “Poemas Da Ciência De Voar E Da Engenharia De Ser Ave” (Poems Of The Science Of Flying And The Engineering Of Being A Bird), “Desafio À Tristeza” (Challenge To Sadness), “Os Materiais Do Amor”, (Materials Of Love), “O Manual Das Mãos” (Handbook Of Hands), “A Mecânica Lunar” (Moon Mechanics), “A Escrita Desassossegada” (Wrestless Writing).

In the course of his writing career, Costley-White received the Mozambican National Poetry Prize, the Rui de Noronha Consecration Prize and the José Craveirinha Literature Grand Prize, among other.

Source: Lusa