The figure of José Fernandes Júnior is quite curious, given the colonial context, in which many Mozambicans were illiterate. He defies the norm and even drafts numerous important documents.
Mozambican writer João Paulo Borges Coelho will be launching his novel "Narração Nocturna" in the coming days in the cities of Maputo and Beira. Its protagonist is José Fernandes Júnior, an "indigenous man" commissioned by an administrator to write a text about the history of Chiúta.
However, while the character writes to the administrator, a rebellious daughter challenges him to immortalize certain "unofficial" memories, which are narrated in the dead of night.
The figure of José Fernandes Júnior is quite curious, considering the colonial context, in which many Mozambicans were illiterate. The character defies the norm and even writes numerous important documents, such as "Historical Ramblings on the District of Tete" (1944), "Historical Note on the District of Tete" (1945), "Narration of the District of Tete" (1956), and "Communication by the Indigenous José Fernandes Júnior, resident of the administrative post of Chiúta, about the German Carlos Wiese" (1958).
João Paulo Borges Coelho is also a historian. His works have been published in Mozambique, Portugal, Italy, Brazil, and Colombia, and his texts have been anthologized in many countries. Several of his works have been distinguished, namely “As Visitas do Dr. Valdez” (Craveirinha Prize), “O Olho de Hertzog” (Leya Prize), “O Olho de Hertzog” and “Ponta Gea” (BCI Prize, 2010 and 2018, respectively), and “Museu da Revolução” (2nd place in the Oceanos Prize).
(By MozaVibe)
