Mia Couto is a Mozambican author, writing in Portuguese. In his early years he began by studying Medicine and then worked as a journalist; in 1975 when Mozambique gained independence, he became a newspaper editor and director of a news agency. His works have been published in over 22 countries and translated into a number of European languages: among the better known are Last Night of the Flamingo, and Under the Frangipani. Couto’s work fuses current political events with traditional storytelling traditions, and this magic realist style has won him considerable praise. In 2007, it earned him the prestigious Prémio União Latina de Literaturas Românticas prize: he was the first African to do so. In his capacities as writer and journalist, Couto has repeatedly expressed his belief in the ‘moral responsibility of the author’ and a commitment to the causes of democracy and international justice. As well as novels, he has published volumes of poetry and short stories, novellas, and children’s fiction. A River Called Time is his fourth novel to appear in English translation. He also works as an environmental biologist.

More information:

Profile, extract and synopsis of Couto's work from British publisher, Serpent's Tail