Angolan author and journalist Israel Campos is the winner of the 2nd edition of the Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda/Angola Literature Prize for his work ‘Baloiço de Memória’, according to a press release issued on Thursday by INCM.
Speaking to Lusa, Israel Campos, who is currently in the UK studying for a PhD in Communication at the University of Leeds, said he felt ‘very happy and flattered’ to have been awarded this prize.
‘It’s exciting to be recognised for work, in my case, that primarily serves to deal with our frustrations, dreams and idealisms,’ he said.
The jury for the prize, made up of Aníbal João Ribeiro (chairman), Ondjaki and Jorge Reis-Sá, justified honouring the work ‘because it deals with memory in its most diverse facets, highlighting issues such as identity and the internal conflicts that are so typical of man. In essence, the author, through original writing, makes a personal reflection, exploring family, social and historical dynamics, within an individual and collective context.’
Asked about the importance and power of memory, Israel Campos said: ‘I have, and I think from an early age, a particular interest in the study and preservation of this collective family memory because, whether we like it or not, it’s what tells us who we are, where we came from, where we can go’.
Mentioning that he grew up in a family environment of many conversations, ‘it was from these conversations, in the midst of Angolan popular music, that his interest in the history of Angola, the national liberation struggle, its players and the country after 1975 was piqued’.
For Israel Campos, this interest ‘greatly influences’ his work, ‘both in journalism and fiction,’ noting that at a time when Angola is about to celebrate 50 years of independence, ‘all the collective reflection that this imposes, the relevance of preserving memory as a means of reminding us of the ideals of freedom and the country we never want to be again has never made more sense.’
Israel Campos, who was born on 5 March 2000 in Luanda, Angola, has a degree in Journalism from the City University of London and a master’s degree in Strategic Communication and Leadership from the Portuguese Catholic University.
Having started his career as an announcer for children’s programmes on Rádio Nacional de Angola at the age of 12, he is now a freelance journalist, with work published in the international press in organisations such as the BBC, VOA, Al Jazeera and the Wall Street Journal.
In the world of journalism, in May 2024, he was the winner of the first edition of the ‘Press Freedom Prize’, awarded by the Angolan Journalists’ Union (SJC).
In literary terms, he published his debut novel in 2023 with ‘E o Céu Mudou de Cor’ (And the Sky Changed Colour) (Kacimbo, 2023).
In 2021, the writer was considered one of the 100 most influential black personalities in Lusophony (BantuMen, 2021). In the same year, he won the EU GCCA+ Youth Awards for the best climate storytelling.
A year later, in 2022, he was named a finalist for the ‘Free Press Award’ and ‘Amnesty Media Award’ and, in 2023, he was invited to join the ‘Reflection Group The Future Has Already Begun’ of the Portuguese President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Israel Campos, who applied for the INCM/Angola Literature Prize under the pseudonym Ngangula, will have his work published under the seal of the National Press and will receive a cash prize of 5,000 euros.
The INCM/Angola Literature Prize is aimed at honouring unpublished works of prose by Angolan citizens or those who have lived in Angola for at least five years.
In addition to the winner, the jury unanimously awarded an honourable mention to Angolan Fábio Kintosh, author of ‘Happiness is like a Cockroach in the Kitchen’.
Source: Lusa
