Mohamed Mbougar Sarr is the first author from sub-Saharan Africa to be awarded France’s most important literary prize, the Prix Goncourt.

The 31-year-previous Senegalese author’s literary thriller La moreover secrete memoire des homes (The Most Top secret Memory of Gentlemen) tells the story of a youthful Senegalese author who discovers a famous ebook from 1938 in Paris. He sets out on the path of the writer, who has mysteriously vanished.

La in addition secrete memoire des hommes is Sarr’s fourth novel. He is perfectly-identified to French visitors, the creator having won several literary prizes in the latest many years for books that deal with contemporary issues these types of as racism, discrimination and Africa’s marriage with Europe — and France in unique.

DW spoke with Sarr about his recent ebook, African literature and French-African relations.

DW: What does winning the Prix Goncourt mean to you? 

Mohamed Mbougar Sarr: It is a excellent enjoyment to obtain a literary award that is a single of the most prestigious not only in the French-talking world, but also in the globe.

Senegal’s President Macky Sall offered Sarr with the L’ordre national du Lion du Senegal (Countrywide Buy of the Lion), which is Senegal’s maximum get, in November 2021

Men and women underline the truth that I am the very first prize winner from sub-Saharan Africa and, on prime of that, one of the youngest ever. There is a large amount of chat about this remaining a signal for the Francophone location, which is correct, they have a place — or will have a level in the years to appear. Nevertheless, I assume you have to ask literary issues 1st: that is, study the book, discuss about it, and uncover out what the literary worth of this ebook is.

What are the concerns you deal with in this novel? 

1st of all, there is the problem of creating, the secret of creating. Then, of class, there is the problem of the silence of the author and the concern of the reception of African writers in the Western earth.

I deal with all these concerns in the framework of a real story about a younger Senegalese writer, Diegane Latyr Faye, who sets out on the trail of a disappeared writer, TC Elimane. All his textbooks revolve all over his search for this…