''The Most Secret Memory of Men'' (French: ''La plus secrète mémoire des hommes'', 'The Most Secret Memory of Men') is a 2021 novel by Senegalese writer

Mohamed Mbougar Sarr Mohamed Mbougar Sarr (born 20 June 1990) is a Senegalese writer. Raised in Diourbel, Diourbel, Senegal and later studying in France, Sarr is the author of four novels as well as a number of award-winning short stories. He won the 2021 Prix Gonco ...

. It was co-published on 19 August 2021 by the French independent publisher Éditions Philippe Rey (Paris) with the Senegalese publishing house Éditions Jimsaan ( Dakar). An English translation by Lara Vergnaud was published by Other Press and Simon & Schuster Canada on 26 September 2023. It received the Prix Goncourt on 3 November 2021. It is the first Sub-Saharan African winner of the Goncourt.

Synopsis

The novel tells the story of a young Senegalese writer named Diégane Latyr Faye, living in Paris who discovers a 1938 novel by the fictional African author T.C. Elimane, nicknamed "the Black Rimbaud". The story mirrors the life of Malian writer

Yambo Ouologuem Yambo Ouologuem (August 22, 1940 – October 14, 2017) was a Malian writer. His first novel, ''Le devoir de violence'' (English: ''Bound to Violence'', 1968), won the Prix Renaudot. He later published ''Lettre à la France nègre'' (1969), and '' ...

, who won the Prix Renaudot in 1968, but was later accused of plagiarism, left France and disappeared from public life. The novel is primarily set in Senegal and Paris, but also moves to Amsterdam and Buenos Aires.

Reception

On 3 November 2021, the novel was awarded the Prix Goncourt. Sarr won in the first round of voting, by six votes against three votes for

Sorj Chalandon Sorj Chalandon (born 16 May 1952 in Tunis) is a French writer and journalist. Biography Chalandon grew up in Lyon with his parents and brother. His father was intensely paranoid and violent, making his family life difficult. When Chalandon was t ...

's ''Enfant de salaud'' and one vote for

Louis-Philippe Dalembert Louis-Philippe Dalembert (born December, 1962 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti) is a Haitian poet and novelist. He writes in both French and Haitian creole. His works have been translated into several languages. He now divides his home between Paris and ...

's ''Milwaukee Blues''. Sarr is the first person from

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...

to win the Prix Goncourt. At 31 years old, he is also the youngest Goncourt laureate since

Patrick Grainville Patrick Grainville (born 1 June 1947 Villers-sur-Mer, Calvados) is a French novelist. He spent his childhood in Villerville, a small town east of Deauville. An Associate Professor of Letters, he received the Prix Goncourt in 1976, 29 years ol ...

won in 1976. Sarr's novel was also shortlisted for the Prix Femina and Prix Renaudot; and longlisted for the Prix Médicis ''

L'Express ''L'Express'' () is a French weekly news magazine headquartered in Paris. The weekly stands at the political centre in the French media landscape, and has a lifestyle supplement, ''L'Express Styles'', and a job supplement, ''Réussir''. History ...

'' magazine said the award declared "the revelation of the literary year", a "shining proof of the vitality and universality of the French language". '' Le Monde'' said the "impressive ambition and stunning energy" of Sarr's novel "carried all before it". In September 2023, the English translation of the book was longlisted for the

National Book Award for Translated Literature The National Book Award for Translated Literature is one of five annual National Book Awards recognising outstanding literary works of translation into English administered by the National Book Foundation. This award was previously given from 1967 ...

. The review in '' The New York Times'' described the novel as "a wildly expansive interrogation of everything from the nature of erotic love to the literary canon. We traverse the gamut of genres — the mystery, the ghost story, the philosophical novel, the historical novel, the magical realist tale — as Sarr navigates a spider's web that enmeshes fact and fiction, biography and gossip, authenticity and plagiarism, fame and infamy."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Most Secret Memory of Men, The 2021 novels French-language novels Prix Goncourt winning works Senegalese novels Novels set in Paris Novels set in Senegal Novels set in Amsterdam Novels set in Buenos Aires