Dissident Authorship in Mozambique: The Case of Antonio Quadros (1933-1994)

Dissident Authorship in Mozambique: The Case of António Quadros is the first monograph on the literary works of the pennames of Portuguese poet and painter António Quadros (1933-1994). It examines the question of what it means to be an author in Mozambique and how authorship changed after the end of Portuguese colonial rule. Quadros' engagement with the question of the authors place and function in authoritarian contexts stands as a fruitful counterpoint to the influential essays by Roland Barthes and Michel Foucault. Tom Stennett addresses the political implications of Barthes' and Foucault's erasure of authorial identity and their respective challenges to authorial authority, making the case for an approach to the question of authorship that takes into account the anonymous agents and institutions involved in the conferring of authority onto certain authors and readers.

Format: Hardback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 16 November 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Dissident Authorship in Mozambique: The Case of António Quadros is the first comprehensive monograph on the literary works of the pen names of Portuguese poet and painter António Quadros (1933-1994). The book explores the intriguing case of Quadros, a Portuguese man who lived in colonial and post-independence Mozambique, where he published poetry and prose under three distinct pen names: João Pedro Grabato Dias, Frey Ioannes Garabatus, and Mutimati Barnabé Joãoto. Through the lens of Quadros's unique experience, the book delves into the profound question of what it means to be an author in Mozambique and how authorship underwent significant transformations after the end of Portuguese colonial rule. Quadros's engagement with the issue of authorship in authoritarian contexts provides a valuable counterpoint to the influential essays by Roland Barthes (The Death of the Author, 1968) and Michel Foucault (What is an Author?, 1969), which were published during the same period when Quadros embarked on his literary journey. Quadros's contributions to the understanding of Mozambican authorship are analyzed in the historical context, alongside postcolonial and decolonial theory. Tom Stennett addresses the political implications of Barthes's and Foucault's erasure of authorial identity and their respective challenges to authorial authority. He advocates for an approach to the question of authorship that recognizes the anonymous agents and institutions, such as editors, political parties, and the State, that play a crucial role in conferring authority onto certain authors and readers. In contrast to much of the existing scholarship on Mozambican authorship, which has primarily focused on issues related to identity and canonicity, Dissident Authorship addresses these themes as well as those of readership, authority, power, and representation.

Weight: 328g
Dimension: 223 x 145 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198885900