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Title: Every Man is a Race Author: Mia Couto Genre: Short Stories (Anthology) Translator: David Brookshaw Publisher: Heinemann (African Writers Series) Pages:118 Year of Publication: 1991 (Portuguese) 1994 (English) Country: Mozambique For the Africa Reading Challenge Asked what his race was, he replied 'My race is me, John the Birdman.' Invited to explain himself, he added: 'My race is me myself. A person is an individual humanity. Every man is a race, Officer.' (Extract from the bird seller's statement)   Every Man is a Race is the second collection of short stories by Mia Couto . It is this collection that established Couto as master storyteller. His stories are known for being magical and surreal. It's always difficult to directly interpret Couto's story. The symbolism is heavy. Consisting of 18 short stories, Every Man is a Race follows the path of Voices Made Night  in style, structure and theme. Couto has a way with...

Title: Neighbours: The Story of a Murder Author:  Lília Momplé Translators: Richard Bartlett and Isaura de Oliveira Genre: Fiction/Novella Publishers: Heinemann (African Writers Series) Pages: 133 Year of Publication: 1995 (In Portuguese), 2001 (In English) Country: Mozambiqu e For the Africa Reading Challenge ASIDE: The cover illustration of this book (at least the version I have from Heinemann as shown on the left) is by Malangatana . I got to know this great artist on the day he died, January 5, 2011, through a fellow blogger Abena Serwaa . His paintings are so unique that the very moment I saw the cover of this book I knew it is hi work (though I had only known him and his works for about two days as of the time of reading). When Mozambique gained its independence on June 25, 1975, the country sought to help freedom fighters in South Africa and Zimbabwe in their quest to shatter the chains of oppressive regimes: colonialism and apartheid respective...

Title: Voices Made Night Author: Mia Couto Translator: David Brookshaw Genre: Short Story Collection (Anthology) Publishers: Heinemann (African Writers Series) Pages: 115 Year of First Publication: 1986 (in Portuguese); 1990 (in English) Country: Mozambique My first encounter with Mia Couto was his story  The Birds of God  in Contemporary African Short Stories . Having not been disappointed by this contribution, which again is present in this collection, I set forth to read his first collection of short stories,  Voices Made Night . This collection of fourteen short stories was the last book I read in 2010 and the first book I review 2011. It also marks the beginning of the Africa Reading Challenge . From the magical realism of  The Birds of God , to the political realities of  The Barber's Most Famous Customer, The Whales of Quissico  and  The Tale of the two who Returned from the Dead,  Mia Couto has put together an e...