José Luandino Vieira

José Luandino Vieira (born José Vieira Mateus da Graça, 1935 in Portugal) immigrated to Angola at age three, where he grew up in Luanda's musseques and became a key figure in Angolan literature, blending Kimbundu and Portuguese to depict colonial oppression. Imprisoned for 11 years (1961-1972) for anti-colonial activism, he wrote most of his works in prison, including his award-winning collection Luuanda (1963), which earned a Portuguese literary prize but was banned by the regime. After Angola's independence, he held cultural leadership roles before retiring reclusively to rural Portugal, declining the 2006 Camões Prize.