Ondjaki


Ndalu de Almeida is a writer born in Angola who uses the pen name Ondjaki. He has written poetry, children's books, short stories, novels, drama and film scripts.

Career

Ondjaki studied sociology at the University of Luanda, and wrote his thesis on Angolan writer Luandino Vieira. In 1999, he received his Doctorate in African Studies. Ondjaki's literary debut came in 2000 with the poetry book Actu Sanguíneu, which was followed up with the childhood memoir Bom dia, camaradas, in 2001. To date his body of work includes five novels, four collections of short stories, six collections of poetry and six children's books. He has also made a documentary film, May Cherries Grow, about his native city. His books have been translated to French, Spanish, Italian, German, Serbian, English, Polish and Swedish. Grandma Nineteen and the Soviets' Secrets is his most recent book in English.
In 2008 Ondjaki was awarded the Grinzane for Africa Prize in the category of Best Young Writer. In 2012, he was named by Zukiswa Wanner in The Guardian as one of the "top five African writers". He is one of 39 writers aged under 40 from sub-Saharan Africa who in April 2014 were chosen as part of the Hay Festival's prestigious Africa39 project.
In October 2010 he won the Premio Jabuti, in the juvenile category, with the book AvóDezanove e o Segredo do Soviético. In 2013 he was awarded the José Saramago Prize for his novel Os Transparentes.

Awards and recognition

  • 2008: Grinzane for young writer Prize - Ethiopia
  • 2010: literatura em lingua portuguesa Prize - by FNLIJ, Brazil, for AvóDezanove e o segredo do soviético
  • 2010: São Paulo Prize for Literature — shortlisted in the Best Book of the Year category for Avó Dezanove e o Segredo do Soviético
  • 2010: Jabuti Prize - Brazil, for AvóDezanove e o segredo do soviético
  • 2011: Caxinde do conto infantil Prize - Angola, for Ombela, a estória das chuvas
  • 2012: Bissaya Barreto Prize - Portugal, for A bicicleta que tinha bigodes
  • 2013: literatura em lingua portuguesa Prize - by FNLIJ, Brazil, for A bicicleta que tinha bigodes
  • 2013: José Saramago Prize - with Os Transparentes
  • 2014: Selected as part of the Hay Festival's Africa39 project featuring 39 writers from sub-Saharan Africa aged under 40.
  • 2014: literatura em lingua portuguesa Prize - by FNLIJ, Brazil, for Uma escuridão bonita
  • 2014: Jabuti Prize - Brazil, for Uma escuridão bonita
  • 2016: Littérature-Monde 2016
  • 2023: Vergílio Ferreira prize
  • 2023: best book in foreign literature

    Works in translation

  • Italy
  • * “Il Fischiatore” - Publisher: Lavoro, 2005; Translation: Vincenzo Barca
  • * “Le aurore della notte” - Publisher: Lavoro, 2006; Translation: Vincenzo Barca
  • * “Buongiorno compagni!” - Publisher: Iacobelli, 2011; Translation: Livia Apa
  • * “NonnaDiciannove e il segreto del sovietico” - Publisher: Il Sirente, 2015; Translation: Livia Apa
  • Uruguay
  • * “Buenos días camaradas” - Publisher: Banda Oriental, 2005; Translation: Ana García Iglesias
  • Switzerland
  • * “Bonjour Camarades” - Publisher: La Joie de Lire, 2005; Translation: Dominique Nédellec
  • * “Bom Dia Camaradas: Ein Roman aus Angola” Publisher: NordSüd 2006; Translation: Claudia Stein
  • * “Ceux de ma rue” - Publisher: La Joie de Lire, 2007; Translation: Dominique Nédellec
  • Spain
  • * “Y si mañana el miedo” - Publisher: Xordica, 2007; Translation: Félix Romeo
  • * “Buenos dias camaradas” - Publisher: Txalaparta, 2010; Translation: Ana García Iglesias
  • United Kingdom
  • * “The Whistler” - Publisher: Aflame Books, 2008; Translation: Richard Bartlett
  • Canada
  • * “Good Morning Comrades” - Publisher: Biblioasis, 2008; Translation: Stephen Henighan
  • * “Granma Nineteen and the Soviet’s Secret” - Publisher: Biblioasis, 2014; Translation: Stephen Henighan
  • * Transparent City - Publisher: Biblioasis, 2018; Translation: Stephen Henighan
  • Mexico
  • * “Buenos dias camaradas” - Publisher: Almadía, 2008; Translation: Ana García Iglesias
  • * Los transparentes - Publisher: 2014; Translation: Ana García Iglesias
  • Argentina
  • * “El Silbador” - Publisher: Letranómada, 2011; Translation: Florencia Garramuño
  • * Los transparentes - Publisher: Letranómada, 2014
  • Serbia
  • * “Dobar dan, drugovi” - Publisher: Krativni centar, 2009; Translation: Ana Kuzmanović-Jovanović
  • Sweden
  • * Publisher: Tranan, 2009; Translation: Yvonne Blank
  • * Publisher: Tranan, 2010; Translation: Yvonne Blank
  • * Publisher: Tranan, 2010; Translation: Yvonne Blank
  • Cuba
  • * “Buenos dias, compañeros” - Publisher: Editorial Gente Nueva, 2010; Translation: Ana Garcia Iglesias
  • Poland
  • * Publisher: Karakter 2012
  • France
  • * Les Transparent - Publisher: Métailié, 2015; Translation: Danielle Schramm
  • Germany
  • * Die Durchsichtigen - Publisher: Wunderhorn, 2015; Translation: Michael Kegler
  • United States
  • * Our Beautiful Darkness - Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books, 2024; Translation: Lyn Miller-Lachmann; Illustration: António Jorge Gonçalves
  • Estonia
  • * VanaemaÜheksa ja soveti saladus'' - Publisher: Kultuurileht, 2024; Translation: Leenu Nigu