Speaking to Lusa, Israel Campos, who is in the United Kingdom pursuing his PhD in Communication at the University of Leeds, said he felt "very happy and flattered" with this award.
"It's exciting to be recognized for work, in my case, that primarily serves to deal with our frustrations, dreams and idealisms," he said.
The Prize jury, composed of Aníbal João Ribeiro (president), Ondjaki and Jorge Reis-Sá, justified the work's distinction "for addressing memory in its most diverse facets, highlighting issues such as identity and internal conflicts so typical of man. Basically, the author, through original writing, makes a personal reflection, explores family, social and historical dynamics, within an individual and collective context".
Asked about the importance and power of memory, Israel Campos stated: "I have, and I think from an early age, a particular interest in the study and preservation of this collective family memory because, whether we like it or not, it is what informs us who we are, where we came from, where we can go".
Noting that he grew up in a family environment with many conversations, "it was from these conversations, amid Angolan popular music that his interest in the history of Angola, the national liberation struggle, its participants, the country after 1975 was sharpened."
For Israel Campos, this interest "greatly influences" his work, "both in journalism and fiction", noting that at a time when Angola is about to celebrate 50 years of independence, "all the collective reflection that this requires, the relevance of preserving memory as a means of reminding us about the ideals of freedom and of the country that we never want to be again has never made so much sense".
Israel Campos, who was born on March 5, 2000 in Luanda, Angola, has a degree in Journalism from the City University of London and a master's degree in Strategic Communication and Leadership from the Universidade Católica Portuguesa.
Having started his career as an announcer for children's programs on Rádio Nacional de Angola at the age of 12, he is a freelance journalist, with work published in the international press in vehicles such as BBC, VOA, Al Jazeera and Wall Street Journal.
In the world of journalism, in May 2024, he was the winner of the first edition of the "Press Freedom Award", granted by the Angolan Journalists Union (SJC).
In literary terms, he published his debut novel, in 2023, with "E o Céu Mudou de Cor" (Kacimbo, 2023).
In 2021, the writer was considered one of the 100 most influential black personalities in Portuguese speaking (BantuMen, 2021). In the same year, he won the "EU GCCA+ Youth Awards for the best climate storytelling" from the European Union.
A year later, in 2022, he was named a finalist for the "Free Press Award" and "Amnesty Media Award" and, in 2023, he was invited to join the "Reflection Group The Future Has Started" of the Portuguese president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Israel Campos, who competed for the INCM/Angola Literature Prize, under the pseudonym Ngangula, will have his work published under the auspices of the National Press and will receive a cash component of 5000 euros as a prize.
The INCM/Angola Literature Prize aims to distinguish unpublished works in the field of prose authored by Angolan citizens or residents in Angola for at least five years.
In addition to the winner, the jury unanimously awarded an honorable mention to the Angolan Fábio Kintosh, author of "Happiness is like a Cockroach in the Kitchen".
