The Blind River - Mia Couto

Literary Expeditions
Reading and conversation with Mia Couto, moderated by Ilija Trojanow

In "The Blind River", Mia Couto tells of the scars left by colonialism in East Africa - a monumental novel about power, language, and memory. The African auxiliary soldier Nataniel attempts, together with his brother, to navigate the shallows between colonial powers, where monsters of all kinds lurk. Meanwhile, something strange is happening in the villages and garrisons: letters are disappearing from reports, maps, and books, and piece by piece, European power seems to evaporate.

Mia Couto was born in 1955 as the son of Portuguese immigrants in Beira, Mozambique, and is among the most significant writers of Portuguese-speaking Africa. He lives in Maputo. The German translation is by Barbara Mesquita.

Supported by the CHRYSANTIL Foundation