Luanda – The Angolan writer Dario de Melo died Monday in the centre-west province of Benguela.
The information was confirmed to ANGOP by the secretary general of the Association of Angolan Writers (UEA), David Capelengueta, who considers it a tough loss for literature in particular and in general for culture.
“A very active member and committed to the world of letters in Angola. He is a personality that leaves a legacy to the young generations”, expressed the official.
Dario de Melo was one of the main references in Angolan literature for children, alongside Cremilda de Lima, Gabriela Antunes, Octaviano Correia, Maria Eugénia Neto e Maria Celestina Fernandes. He was a journalist and teacher, born on 02 December 1935 in the province of Benguela.
The deceased worked in various professions such as teacher, scholar inspector, editor of the National Institute of the Book and Disk and the employee of the then Ministry of Information.
As a journalist Dario de Melo worked in radio, was the director of Voz do Bié radio in 1972, the Tveja Angola Public Television Magazine in 1983, the newspapers Jornal de Angola and Correio da Semana which he founded with Manuel Dionísio in 1991 as well as the newspaper Jornal Jango in 1992.
In addition to these professions, he published several articles in the press.
From the 18 published books in the children’s literature, some that stand out are “Estórias do Leão Velho” (1985), “Vou Contar” (1988), “Aqui, mas do Outro Lado” (2000) and “As Sete Vidas de um Gato” (2002).
Meanwhile, with the book “As sete vidas de um gato”, in 2002, Dario de Melo won the award of the Portuguese Speaking Countries (PALOP) in 1998 in the children´s literature category. He published as well a poetry book entitled Onda Dormida.
Dario de Melo is a member of the Union of Angolan Journalists and the Association of Angolan Writers, of which he was president of the General Assembly (1992-1994 and 2002-2010).
