Artur Carlos Maurício Pestana dos Santos, better known as Pepetela, was born in 1941 in Benguela, Angola. In 1958, he moved to Lisbon, where he studied at the Instituto Superior Técnico and at the Faculty of Literature. Later, during his exile in France and Algiers, he earned a bachelor´s degree in Sociology.

He was a commander in the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), a Sociology professor at the Angolan University, and he has held political roles in the Ministry of Education.

In 1980, he received the African Literature Award from the Angolan Writers´ Union for his work titled Mayombe. The Camões Award, earned 1997, confirmed his leading position in Lusophone literature.

His extensive literary work includes titles such as: As aventuras de Ngunga (Ngunga´s Adventures, 1972), Muana Puó (1978), Yaka (1985), Luandando (1990), A geração da utopia (1992), A gloriosa familia (A Glorious Family, 1997), Jaime Bunda, agente secreto (Jaime Bunda, Secret Agent, 2001), Predadores (Predators, 2005) and O quase fim do mundo (2008)

Sources:

• The author´s website

• Biographical data at Vidaslusofonas.pt

Additional information:

• Consult the availability of publications at the Casa África Media Library