Postgraduate researcher Israel Campos wins prestigious Angola Literature Prize
The jury, chaired by Aníbal João Ribeiro and including acclaimed writers Ondjaki and Jorge Reis-Sá, praised Baloiço de Memória for its profound exploration of memory, identity, and internal conflict
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures postgraduate researcher Israel Campos has won the 2nd Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda/Angola (INCM/Angola) Literature Prize for his work Baloiço de Memória (due to be published in summer 2025). The award celebrates unpublished prose by Angolan authors or those with significant ties to Angola, aiming to promote literary creation in the country.
The jury, chaired by Aníbal João Ribeiro and including acclaimed writers Ondjaki and Jorge Reis-Sá, praised Baloiço de Memória for its profound exploration of memory, identity, and internal conflict. They highlighted the work’s evocative use of metaphor and intimate writing style, noting its ability to address themes such as guerrilla warfare, loss, and resilience while offering a social and historical critique.
Israel Campos
Israel, who submitted the work under the pseudonym Ngangula, will receive a €5,000 prize, and his collection of short stories will be published by the National Press.
Israel Campos said:
“I feel deeply touched and honoured to receive the second edition of this prestigious award. When I write fiction, I try not to think about potential readers, their judgments, or public recognition. This is because I write to heal my own wounds, to reconcile with myself, my present, and my past — a persistent attempt at self-healing, even when I know it will not always succeed.
“To be recognised for work that primarily serves as a way to cope with my own frustrations, dreams, and idealisms about the world is profoundly moving. That is why I believe this prize recognises not just my writing, but also the deeply personal process behind it.”
An author, journalist, and Angolan native who is studying at the University of Leeds’ School of Media and Communication, Israel has garnered international recognition for his work. He is a freelance journalist whose writing has appeared in outlets such as the BBC, Al Jazeera, and The Wall Street Journal. He published his debut novel, And the Sky Changed Colour, in 2023.
This award is the latest accolade for Israel, who has also scooped the Angolan Journalists’ Union Press Freedom Prize (2024), the EU GCCA+ Youth Award for climate storytelling (2021), and been included among the 100 most influential black personalities in Portuguese-speaking countries (2021).
