Orlando Mendes

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Orlando Marques de Almeida Mendes , Orlando Mendes for short (born August 4, 1916 in Ilha de Moçambique , Portuguese East Africa , † January 11, 1990 in Maputo , Mozambique ) was a Mozambican writer.

biography

Orlando Mende's parents had come to Mozambique from Portugal at the turn of the century . After graduating from high school, Orlando Mendes worked as a government finance officer, but aspired to a university degree, which at the time inevitably entailed a trip to Portugal.

In 1944 he moved to Coimbra with his wife and four-year-old daughter , where he studied biology. After graduating, he returned to Mozambique in 1951. He worked as a biologist in Lourenço Marques and at the same time as an editor for the magazines Tempo , Itinerário , Vértice and África .

Although he was of Portuguese descent, he lamented the bad treatment of blacks by the colonial power Portugal. He also criticized the authoritarian and repressive Salazar regime . During the Mozambican war of independence against Portugal, he took sides for the FRELIMO and published nationalist poems.

Orlando Mendes published a total of eleven volumes of poetry, a novel, a play and several short stories. His lyrics are heavily influenced by Portuguese neorrealismo .

Works

  • Trajectórias (1940)
  • Clima (1951)
  • Carta do capataz da estrada 95 (1960)
  • Depois do sétimo dia (1963)
  • Portanto, eu vos escrevo (1964)
  • Portagem (novel 1966)
  • Véspera confiada (1968)
  • Um minuto de silêncio (play 1970)
  • Adeus de Gutucumbui (1971)
  • A fome das larvas (1975)
  • País emerso (1975-76)
  • Produção com que aprendo (1978)
  • Lume florindo na forja (1981)
  • Papá operário mais seis histórias (children's book 1983)
  • Sobre Literatura Moçambicana (Essais 1982)

Awards

In 1946 he received the Prémio Fialho de Almeida of the Jogos Florais da Universidade de Coimbra and the first Prémio de Poesia at the literary competition of the city of Lourenço Marques.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Short biography at www.portaldaliteratura.com
  2. ↑ bibliography memoria-africa.ua.pt
personal data
SURNAME Mendes, Orlando
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Almeida Mendes, Orlando Marques de (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Mozambican writer
DATE OF BIRTH 4th August 1916
PLACE OF BIRTH Ilha de Moçambique , Portuguese East Africa
DATE OF DEATH January 11, 1990
Place of death Maputo , Mozambique