Jose Eduardo Agualusa Interview

Words Without Borders has an interview with one of my favorite authors, Jose Eduardo Agualusa, and a translation of one of his short stories, A Practical Guide to Levitation.

In Brazil, your work is seen as critical of Angolan society. What’s the significance of this sociological approach in your work?

I’m a critic, in one form or another. In a country like Angola, which is very poor, not completely democratic yet, and without structures that allow for a global debate—I mean, with few independent newspapers, few people who can access the Internet—I believe that the writers have the moral and civic duty of criticism, of questioning, of giving a voice to those who don’t have a voice.