David Diop has won the 2021 International Booker Prize for his novel At Night All Blood is Black, becoming the first French novelist (and the first of African heritage) to do so.
David Diop
At Night All Blood is Black shines a light on the history of the 135,000 Senegalese soldiers who fought in Europe in the First World War. It tells the story of a soldier named Alfa, who loses his greatest friend Mademba while fighting in the trenches and is driven to grief-stricken madness. Drawing on Diop’s own heritage, the novel has been praised by other authors such as Ali Smith and Sarah Waters, and garnered rave reviews in multiple publications.
Lucy Hughes-Hallett, chair of judges, said,
‘This story of warfare and love and madness has a terrifying power. The protagonist is accused of sorcery, and there is something uncanny about the way the narrative works on the reader. We judges agreed that its incantatory prose and dark, brilliant vision had jangled our emotions and blown our minds. That it had cast a spell on us.’
David Diop and his translator, Anna Moschovakis, will share the £50,000 prize money between them.
Congratulations to David Diop and Anna Moschovakis!
Find out more about the International Booker Prize here
At Night All Blood is Black
Alfa Diaye and Mademba Diop are two of the many Senegalese tirailleurs who fight in the Great War under the French flag.
Whenever Captain Armand blows his whistle they climb out of their trenches to attack the blue-eyed enemy. But one day Mademba is mortally wounded, and without his friend, his more-than-brother, Alfa is alone amidst the savagery of the trenches, far from all he knows and holds dear. He throws himself into combat with renewed vigour, but soon he begins to scare even his own comrades in arms...
About the Contributor
Olivia Fricot
Olivia Fricot (she/her) is Booktopia's Senior Content Producer and editor of the Booktopian blog. She has too many plants and not enough bookshelves, and you can usually find her reading, baking, or talking to said plants. She is pro-Oxford comma.
Follow Olivia: Twitter
Comments
No comments