Der blinde Fluss

Literary Expeditions
Reading and Discussion with Mia Couto, Moderated by Ilija Trojanow

With vivid imagery, Mia Couto recounts the scars left by colonial rule in East Africa, crafting a monumental novel about power, language, and memory. Nataniel, an African auxiliary soldier, tries—together with his brother—to navigate the treacherous waters between the colonial powers, where monsters of all kinds lurk. But almost unnoticed, something strange is happening in the villages and garrisons: letters are disappearing from reports, maps, and books, and bit by bit, the Europeans’ power seems to be evaporating. Mia Couto, born in 1955 in Beira, Mozambique, to Portuguese immigrants, is one of the most important writers in Portuguese-speaking Africa. Mia Couto lives in Maputo. The novel *The Blind River* was
translated into German by Barbara Mesquita.

Supported by the CHRYSANTIL Foundation