On Saturday, 21 December 2024, Ethale Publishing received its first public recognition for nearly a decade of work promoting African narratives. This includes publishing books, translating African authors to make their work accessible in Portuguese-speaking countries, and fostering a culture of readership in Mozambique.
The publishing house was awarded the Literature prize in a competition organised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The initiative seeks to celebrate artists and organisations involved in cultural and creative industries while also stimulating, recognising, and encouraging artistic production. It calls on cultural and creative practitioners and operators to continuously raise the quality of Mozambican cultural products and services.
A jury comprising nine members, namely, Frederico Jamisse, Victor Mulupata, António Guimarães, Eduardo Lichuge, Sara Jona Laisse, Julieta Mussanhane, Rufus Maculuve, Basílio Muchate, and Cândida Bila, selected the award winners.
Upon receiving the award, Ethale Publishing’s Commercial Administrator, António Nhatave Júnior, expressed his gratitude for the recognition, noting that this achievement motivates the entire team, who, for the first time, see their work publicly acknowledged.
Jessemusse Cacinda, co-founder, first director, and now a non-executive administrator of Ethale, also commented on the award. Writing on Facebook from Lisbon in Portugal, where he was attending an academic conference, he reflected on its significance: “This recognition underscores our existence, especially considering that, until now, we had not been nominated for any programme celebrating outstanding figures in the cultural spheres of Mozambique, the Portuguese speaking african countries and the entire lusophone world”.
He added, “This award is dedicated to Ethale’s young collaborators who, despite many mistakes and setbacks, remain steadfast in our mission, and to the young readers who, amidst significant challenges in our country, still manage to find the time and resources to buy and read our books.”
This week, in light of the country’s evolving political landscape, Ethale Publishing’s board of directors will decide how to allocate the prize money, which totals 120,000 meticais (approximately 2,000 USD).