Origins & Early Life

António Emílio Leite Couto, better known as Mia Couto (born 5 July 1955), is a Mozambican writer. He won the Camões Prize in 2013, the most important literary award in the Portuguese language, and the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 2014. Mia Couto was born on 5 July 1955 in Beira, Mozambique, the country's third largest city, where he was also raised and schooled. He is the son of Portuguese emigrants who moved to the Portuguese colony in the 1950s.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

When he was 14 years old, some of his poetry was published in a local newspaper, Notícias da Beira. Three years later, in 1971, he moved to the capital Lourenço Marques (now Maputo) and began to study medicine at the University of Lourenço Marques. During this time, the anti-colonial guerrilla and political movement FRELIMO was struggling to overthrow the Portuguese colonial rule in Mozambique. In April 1974, after the Carnation Revolution in Lisbon and the overthrow of the Estado Novo regime, Mozambique was about to become an independent republic. In 1974, FRELIMO asked Couto to suspend his studies for a year to work as a journalist for Tribuna until September...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud — Contemporary (Born in 1955) (1955): Saudi billionaire, investor, and influential member of the House of Saud.
• Albert Einstein — Contemporary (Died in 1955) (1955): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for the theory of relativity and E=mc2.
• Alexander Fleming — Contemporary (Died in 1955) (1955): Pioneering microbiologist known for the discovery of penicillin, revolutionizing medicine.
• Cecil Rhodes — Shared historical date (07-05 · Born) (1853): British mining magnate and politician who established Rhodesia and De Beers.
• Chuck Close — Shared historical date (07-05 · Born) (1940): Pioneering master of massive-scale photorealist and abstract portraiture.
• Andrew Strominger — Historical peer (Born in 1955) (1955): American theoretical physicist specializing in quantum gravity and string theory.
• Bill Gates — Historical peer (Born in 1955) (1955): Co-founder of Microsoft, pioneer of the microcomputer revolution and global philanthropist.
• Bernadette Lafont — Historical peer (Died in 2013) (2013): Iconic French actress, celebrated for her role in the New Wave movement.
• Bobby Bland — Historical peer (Died in 2013) (2013): Pioneering blues and soul artist known for tempestuous arias of love and betrayal.
• 2014 League of Legends World Championship — Historical peer (Born in 2014) (2014): The 4th League of Legends World Championship, held in Asia in 2014.
• 1955 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1955
• July 5 (07-05) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on July 5