Henning Mankell enthusiastically agreed to write his first opera libretto based on the novel of the same name, written by his friend, the Mozambican writer Mia Couto. The composer(s) for the commissioned opera will be appointed in late fall.

Mia Couto’s novel Sleepwalking Land is a tale about a series of tales and how they affect the people who hear them. First published in Portuguese in 1992, it quickly became a success internationally. War in Africa is hardly a new phenomenon; this novel tells of Mozambique’s sixteen years of civil war, using magic realism to turn its harsh reality into an exceptionally beautiful nightmare. (New York Times)

"What intrigues me so much about writing a libretto based on Mia Couto’s novel Sleepwalking Land is its richness. The story is a magical journey between tragedy and comedy. It has all the qualities that - hopefully - will make it a modern classic", says the Swedish author and dramatist Henning Mankell who is one of Europe’s best selling authors. He systematically links his work with Africa where he has been working with the Teatro Avenida in Maputo for over 20 years.

“I wrote the novel Sleepwalking Land during a time of war in my country. This war not only killed a million people, it also killed our hope. We were imprisoned by violence. Even more, we were also imprisoned by distance and by solitude. My novel was translated into almost two dozen languages, was awarded a prize and acclaimed by critics. That filled me with joy. Nevertheless, something even bigger could come out of this evidence of survival of a war so devastating.
Almost two decades after the end of this war, the news that Sleepwalking Land will be able to travel further in form of another artistic language, is a sort of vengeance against siege and isolation dictated by the absurdity of war. To know that my literature can travel to registers apparently as different as an opera even more amplifies my gratitude. To know that this initiative will be able to join voices and talents of different continents, is therefore the universality that all work of art intends to reach”, ads Mia Couto.

“We are aspiring to create partnerships truly bridging North and South while leaving a memorable exchange strengthening the cultural ties with the African continent. And we certainly have the ambition to showcase Africa’s capacity, culturally as well as economically – hopefully followed by further cultural projects”, confirms the soprano Stella Mendonça, one of the founding members of SONÇA international, based in Switzerland and responsible for the project management and production, as well as for sponsoring and partnerships.


More information about the project:    
www.TerraSonambula.com

For personal inquires, please contact:   
Stella Mendonça
+41 78 703 38 74
stella@stellamendonca.com