Author

José Luandino Vieira, son of Joaquim Mateus da Graça Júnior and Maria Alice Vieira, was born on the 4th of May 1935 in Lagoa do Furadouro, Portugal. He grew up, lived, and fought in Angola, and was then arrested at the beginning of the struggle for Angola's independence due to his political activity against Portuguese colonialism. From 1961 to 1964, he served time in several prisons in the city of Luanda: PIDE Prison Pavilion (PPPIDE), PSP Command Chain and County Jail. In 1964, he was sent to the Campo de Trabalho de Chão Bom, Tarrafal, Cape Verde, where he remained until 1972, being later transferred to Lisbon in a fixed residence regime until 1974. Following the independence of Angola in 1975, he became an Angolan citizen for his services rendered to the country.

During his 12 years in prison, José Luandino Vieira wrote a large part of his fictional work and collected an important collection of notes, diaries and letters. In his works, prison became a place for the anti-colonial struggle during the late Portuguese colonialism and a place of reflection on the importance of culture and history in the perception of the existence of the Angolan nation. This unique book by José Luandino Vieira was published in 2015 by Leya-Caminho, under the title Papéis da Prisão: apontamentos, diário, correspondência (1962-1971), organised by Margarida Calafate Ribeiro, Roberto Vecchi and Mónica V. Silva and funded by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

_{José Luandino Vieira  | © Nuno Simão Gonçalves}