ABOUT
THE BOOK

Translated from the Portuguese by Stephen Henighan

2020 Longlist

In a crumbling apartment block in the Angolan city of Luanda, families work, laugh, scheme, and get by. In the middle of it all is the melancholic Odonato, nostalgic for the country of his youth and searching for his lost son. As his hope drains away and as the city outside his doors changes beyond all recognition, Odonato’s flesh becomes transparent and his body increasingly weightless.

A captivating blend of magical realism, scathing political satire, tender comedy, and literary experimentation, Transparent City offers a gripping and joyful portrait of urban Africa quite unlike any before yet published in English.

About the Author

Ondjaki is the pen name for writer Ndalu de Almeida. He was born in Luanda, Angola and is the award-winning author of five novels, four short-story collections, numerous books of poems and stories for children. His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. The Guardian named him one of its Top Five African Writers.

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