Lília Momplé

Lília Momplé
Lília Momplé
Born	Lília Maria Clara Carrière Momplé; 19 March 1935
Nationality	Mozambican
Period	Post-modernism
Genre	Novel, Short stories
Notable works	Ninguém Matou Suhura
Notable awards	Prémio José Craveirinha de Literatura (2011) [1]; Prêmio Caine para Escritores de África com o conto “O baile de Celina” (2001).; Prémio da Novelística (João Dias) no Concurso Literário do Centenário de Maputo com o conto "Caniço"; Prémio José Craveirinha de Literatura (2011)

Lília Maria Clara Carrièrre Momplé (born on the Island of Mozambique, 19 March 1935[2]) is a Mozambican writer.

Biography

Lília Momplé was born on the Island of Mozambique, into a family of mixed ethnic origins, including Makua, French, Indian, Chinese, and Mauritian. She attended the Instituto Superior de Serviço Social (Higher Institute of Social Service) in Lisbon and graduated with a degree in Social Services. In 1995, she became secretary general of the Association of Mozambican Authors, a position she held until 2001. She also represented Mozambique at various international meetings as a member of the UNESCO Executive Board (2001-2005).[3] In 1998, Momplé appeared as Dona Esmeralda in the film Comédia Infantil, directed by Solveig Nordlund and based on the Swedish novel Comédia Infantil (1995) by Henning Mankell.[3] Later, the novel was translated in English by Tiina Nunnally: Chronicler of the Winds, (2006). The story happens in Mozambique and is about a young boy, Nélio, who loses his entire family during the war.

Literary career

Many of Momplé's literary influences came from her grandmother, who, although she could not read or write, would always tell stories. These stories inspired young Lília because their heroes were often fragile creatures, rather than more typically powerful ones. Portuguese writers, such as Eça de Queirós and Fernando Pessoa, also influenced Momplé's career path. However, it was not until she read the writings of the Mozambican poet José Craveirinha that she made the decision to become a writer. Craveirinha was the first Mozambican author to portray African characters as protagonists in his poetry.[3] Since Momplé was a teacher for many years, many of her stories focus on topics related to education. In her works, Lília Momplé also explores the traditional duties of women and expectations attending them within society, along with the hardships they face. She tends to emphasize issues of race, class, gender, and color and ethnic differences in her fiction.

Awards

Prémio da Novelística (João Dias) no Concurso Literário do Centenário de Maputo com o conto Caniço.
Prémio José Craveirinha de Literatura (2011)
Prêmio Caine para Escritores de África com o conto “O baile de Celina” (2001).[1]

Literary works

Ninguém Matou Suhura (No One Killed Suhura), 1988
Neighbours, 1995
Os Olhos da Cobra Verde (The Eyes of the Green Snake), 1997

References

Alós, Anselmo Peres (December 2011). "A ficcionalização da história moçambicana nos contos de Lília Momplé" [The fictionalization of Mozambican history in the stories of Lília Momplé]. Revista Estudos Feministas (in Portuguese). 19 (3): 1005–1007. doi:10.1590/S0104-026X2011000300018.
Africa vol. 61, ISSN 0001-9747.
Owen, Hilary, and Williams, Claire. “Interview with Lilia Momplé. Birmingham 22 October 2003.” In Sexual/Textual Empires: Gender and Marginality in Lusophone African Literature. Vol. 2, Lusophone Studies, edited by Hillary Owen, and Phillip Rothwell, 177-187. Bristol: Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies, University of Bristol, 2004.