The Mozambican poet Álvaro Fausto Taruma is among the ten finalists for the prestigious Oceanos – Prize for Literature in Portuguese, with his work Criação do Fogo, published by Alcance Editores. The news was received with moderate enthusiasm by Taruma, who, although he values the recognition, regards the nomination as a natural stage in the development of his poetic work. “The nomination is gratifying, but the most important thing is that the book continues on its path, finds its audience and makes its own journey,” the author said.
Taruma had anticipated the possibility of reaching this stage ever since he was announced among the sixty semi-finalists in August. However, the international acceptance of his work contrasts with the relatively cool reception in Mozambique, something the author takes in his stride. "For me, the value of the work is not determined by what is said locally. This recognition reinforces the validity of believing in one’s own work,” Taruma explained.
Among the ten finalists, Taruma represents Mozambique as the only author from the country, alongside the Cape Verdean writers Germano Almeida and José Luiz Tavares. For Taruma, this nomination goes beyond his personal path, symbolising the vitality of an emerging new literary generation, particularly the Kuphaluxa group, which has contributed significantly to revitalising Mozambican literature. “This is an achievement for all those who believe in the transformative power of the word,” the poet stresses.
The Oceanos prize, which covers books of poetry, novels, short stories, chronicles and drama, received 2,619 entries this year from authors from 28 countries. Of this total, 1,204 works were poetry. In December, during a ceremony in São Paulo, Brazil, the jury will announce the two winners, who will each receive the sum of 150,000 reais (about 1,650,000 meticais).
Established in 2003, the Oceanos Prize has established itself as one of the most important literary awards for literature in Portuguese, boosting the international visibility of the finalist authors and works.
