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Paper short abstract:

In the late 1950s, "Mensagem", periodical published by the House of the Students of the Empire and "Cultura", a publication of the Cultural Society of Angola, exchanged literary contributions and brought young intellectuals from Angola who lived there in contact with fellow countrymen in Portugal.

Paper long abstract:

The purpose of this work is to address the connections established between two circles of young intellectuals, namely those who published the bulletin Mensagem in Lisbon, the periodical of the House of Students of the Empire (Casa dos Estudantes do Império) and those who led the newspaper Cultura in Luanda, an organ of the Cultural Society of Angola (Sociedade Cultural de Angola). In a context of heightened tensions caused by the imminence of the beginning of the independence war in Angola, the publications exchanged literary contributions, publicized the achievements of the other circle in their publications, narrowed their contacts through correspondences and exchanges of literary references. In addition, it was through the contact between the two circles that intellectuals responsible for Culture, such as Luandino Vieira, António Jacinto and Henrique Abranches, had their writings published as books through the Autores Ultramarinos collection, the editorial seal of the House of Students of the Empire.

These contacts helped to create networks and support points during the years of the Angola war of independence, both in Portuguese colonial space and in exile. In addition, it helped to strengthen in both places the idea that at that time there was an Angolan literature, which although incipient, had its own characteristics that differed from the so-called colonial literature.