Career
Ondjaki studied sociology at the University of Luanda, and wrote his thesis on Angolan writer Luandino Vieira. In 1989, 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 ("Good Morning, comrades"), in 2001. To date (2024) 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 (Spring 2014).
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" (alongside Léonora Miano, H. J. Golakai, Chika Unigwe and Thando Mgqolozana). [1] 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. [2]
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 .
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