Oscar Bento Ribas (17 August 1909 – 19 June 2004) was an Angolan writer.

Ribas was born in Luanda, the son of Arnaldo Gonçalves Ribas (who was Portuguese) and Maria de Conceição Bento Faria (Angolan). His first publications were two novels: Nuvens que passam (Clouds that pass) in 1927 and Resgate de uma falta (Rescue of a lack) in 1929.

Ribas suffered from slow loss of eyesight in his 20s. However, he continued to research and write. In 1950, he published Flores e espinhos (Flowers and Thorns) and Uanga (Magic), and in 1952, Ecos da minha terra (Echoes of my land). Together with Echoes of My Land and The Evil Spell (1951), Ribas's writings took on clearly African themes. The Evil Spell is about the marriage of an African man and woman. It is combined with Mbundu fables, songs, and folklore. In 1969, Ribas published an expanded edition of the novel.

Researches

Ribas conducted and published important research. In 1958, he published Ilundo: Angolan Divinations and Rites, which was the result of his 18-year study of Mbundu culture and religion. His second work about Angolan culture, Missosso: Traditional Angolan Literature, was published in 1961. This three-volume book was a linguistic study that included a dictionary of the local language and Portuguese translations of Angolan stories. His deep interest in Angolan culture and his love for the country were described in detail in his autobiography All of This Happened (1975).

In 1968, he was awarded the Medal Gonçalves Dias by the National Library of Rio de Janeiro.

Ribas died on June 19, 2004, in Lisbon, Portugal.