London, United Kingdom – King’s College London, one of the United Kingdom’s leading universities, yesterday 31st of July met with leaders of the Portuguese – Speaking African (PALOP) communities in the UK, under the umbrella of the Palop Society to define the framework for the upcoming International Conference on PALOP Literature.
The conference will be organised by King’s College London in partnership with the PALOP Society and its member organisations, with the aim of promoting the literary heritage of the Portuguese-speaking African countries within the international academic community while strengthening cooperation between British universities and higher education institutions across the PALOP countries.
Angola was represented by the Confederation of Angolan Associations in the United Kingdom (CAARU), a founding member of the PALOP Society. During the meeting, CAARU proposed three distinguished Angolan literary figures to participate in the conference: writer and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Angola João Bernardo de Miranda, journalist António de Sousa Simbo, and writer and journalist João Melo.
During its presentation, CAARU advocated for the internationalisation of Angolan literature and the broader intellectual output of the PALOP countries through long-term partnerships with world-class academic institutions. The organisation emphasised that international literature and academic discourse continue to lack sufficient intellectual and literary contributions from Lusophone Africa, resulting in the historical underrepresentation of PALOP voices within the global literary and scholarly landscape.
CAARU argued that the inclusion of writers, researchers, academics and scientists from the Portuguese-speaking African countries would significantly enrich global scholarship by introducing diverse historical, cultural, philosophical and social perspectives. The organisation further stated that giving greater international visibility to PALOP intellectuals would help eliminate the longstanding intellectual silence surrounding the region in the world of literature and academic research.
In response, King’s College London expressed its willingness to establish broader academic cooperation with universities across the PALOP countries, creating new opportunities for literary, cultural and scientific exchange.
During the meeting, all parties agreed that the International Conference on PALOP Literature will take place in November 2026. According to Dr Sham Qayum, representative of King’s College London, the timing coincides with Angola’s Independence Month, adding historical and cultural significance to the event while recognising Angola’s contribution to Lusophone African literature and intellectual thought.
CAARU has been actively promoting closer academic cooperation between Angola and the United Kingdom through dialogue with Angolan state institutions, facilitated by the Embassy of Angola in the United Kingdom and the British Embassy in Angola, with the objective of fostering sustainable partnerships in higher education, research and cultural exchange.
The meeting brought together community leaders representing all five Portuguese-speaking African countries—Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Mozambique—reaffirming the PALOP Society’s collective commitment to promoting the Portuguese language, African literature and academic collaboration.
The International Conference on PALOP Literature represents an important milestone in elevating the cultural and intellectual profile of Lusophone Africa, positioning its literary and scholarly contributions at the heart of international academic dialogue and paving the way for a stronger and more permanent presence of PALOP literature within leading universities around the world.