Mia Couto’s new novel, translated from the Portuguese by David Brookshaw, is published today.
The Sword and the Spear is the second in a trilogy set in 19th-century Mozambique, set against the backdrop of war between the Gazan emperor Ngungunyane and the Portuguese. Mia has been described by Henning Mankell as ‘one of the most important writers in Africa’ and World Editions published the first book, Woman of the Ashes in 2019 to acclaim acclaim.
You can hear Mia on BBC Radio 3 Freethinking on 3 November.