#11 — a spider weaves, weaves

a novelette & november's recommended translation

Author

Hache Pueyo
November 30, 2024

Hello again,

This month, one of the my first stories in English was published by Interzone: THERE IS LOVE IN SÃO PAULO, a novelette where two ex-inmates meet again in a world where members of an alien species have been coexisting with humans for decades, but their growing presence in reproductive rights and political repression turns into a concern.

One day he was beating the shit out of gringos with his brass knuckles and hurrying to arrive in time to watch telenovelas with his mom, the next he was locked up in a prison cell with two sweaty dudes and a pack of cigarettes.

It’s wild to see it out now (I wrote it back in 2017!), but I’m glad to see it out, especially with a lovely illustration by Dante Luiz. You can read it online for free (e brasileiros podem ler pela Plutão Livros), but don’t forget to support the magazine if you can.

And speaking of support, as horrific as it is, the genocide in Gaza is still ongoing, so donate and share Operation Olive Branch and keep supporting Palestinians.

See you next month,

Hache 🕷️

We Killed Mangy-Dog 🇲🇿 Nós Matamos o Cão-Tinhoso

(Luís Bernardo Honwana, 1964, trans. Dorothy Guedes)

A classic of Mozambican literature, We Killed Mangy-Dog is a collection of seven striking stories set in Maputo province. Honwana’s elegant prose, together with a mix of allegory and realism when speaking of colonialism and its effects on society, make it a remarkable read (and the titular story is not one you’ll forget very soon). I had the pleasure of reading the original Portuguese text, but I’m glad there is an English translation so people outside the Lusophone world can read it too.