The Fernando Leite Couto Foundation and Moza Banco announced, this Monday, the winners of the Fernando Leite Couto literary award, which, in this edition, was dedicated to prose (novel, novella, short story and chronicles). The writers are Maya Ângela Macuácua, author of a novel entitled "Black Diamonds amid Crystals", and Geremias José Mendoso, with the short story book "When the owls hoot".

The two winners, left behind candidates such as: Fernanda Vitorino do Rosário Mualeia João, with the novel "Amor em tempos incertos" (Love in uncertain times); Wasquete Jasse Fernando, with the novel "Noites de desassossego" (Nights of restlessness) and Adelino Albano Luís, with the short story book "Estórias trazidas pela ventania" (Stories brought by the windstorm), are the other three finalists of the Fernando Leite Couto Literary Award.

The jury, composed by Conceição Siopa, Conceição Ciueia, Albino Macuácua and José dos Remédios, under the leadership of the writer Francisco Noa, decided to award the prize to the above mentioned writers because "besides having fulfilled the defined criteria, the novel "Black diamonds amid crystals" presents an innovative perspective by the way it distributes the stories in distinct temporal and spatial dimensions, with different characters, but with a common denominator that has to do with human suffering. As for the short story "Quando os owhos piam", a strong ironic tone prevails, making the stories oscillate between the tragic and the hilarious, with a marked inspiration in oral tradition and in everyday events", said the president of the jury, Francisco Noa.

In the occasion, representing Moza Banco, the member of the Executive Committee Sérgio Ribeiro, said that the contest, besides praising and exalting the legacy of the Foundation's patron - a figure whose career and work history is responsible for elevating - stimulates the emergence of talents among the youth, awarding young people who stand out in the area of literary creation.

"Our words at this moment are of joy and congratulation to the young writers Maya Ângela Macuácua and Geremias Mendoso who, with the quality of the content they presented, overcame strong competition and became the big winners of this edition. We hope that they continue on a successful path and that, inspired by the great names in Mozambican literature, they will be able to present us with more works.

The big winners of the literary prize received an award in monetary values, offered by Moza Banco, which also sponsors the printing of the works submitted in the contest.

Since its inception, the Fernando Leite Couto Prize has already had two winners, namely, Macvildo Pedro Bonde, with the book of poems "Description of Shadows" in 2017, and Otildo Justino Guido, with the work "The Silence of the Skin" in 2019.

In 2018, the jury decided not to award the prize because none of the candidates met the quality requirements required as award criteria.