Finalist of the Goncourt Prize, Gaël Faye wins the 2024 Renaudot Prize, awarded on Monday 4 November.
Goncourt to one, Renaudot to the other. Kamel Daoud and Gaël Faye, both finalists of the two prestigious literary prizes, were crowned this Monday 4 November.
Kamel Daoud won the Goncourt, with his novel Hoursand Gaël Faye received the Renaudot prize for his second novel Jacaranda on the reconstruction of Rwanda after the 1994 genocide.
While in the first Small townGoncourt prize for high school students in 2016 and great success in bookstores, the author chose the point of view of a boy who grew up in Burundi, this time the narrator grew up in France, in Versailles, of a French father and a Rwandan mother .
Memory of the genocide
This young man, Milan, will discover Kigali, the omnipresence of the memory of the genocide, and the members of his family.
It is “a lot of joy, a great surprise”, reacted Gaël Faye at the Drouant restaurant, where the Renaudot and Goncourt prizes are traditionally awarded, awarded on Monday to the French-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud for his novel Hours (edited by Gallimard), on the “black decade” in Algeria.
Franco-Rwandan, 42 years old, Gaël Faye has an atypical profile in the French literary scene: between slam, music and literature, he is an artist with multiple talents, whose pen is as alert as his themes are serious.
“The first time I started singing was during the genocide commemorations. I was 15, 16 years old. We were told: write some lyrics between two testimonies,” he told AFP in September.
“Words of calm”
“When someone has just told their story, the only thing we can do is come with words of reassurance. This has always been my way,” he added.
On the genocide, Gaël Faye, of French and Rwandan nationality, never misses an opportunity to recommend reading, on the one hand, the testimonies of the survivors and, on the other, the most recent history books. Many works that do not have the distribution of his.
His literature and song lyrics take another approach to describing the Rwanda he lives in today. They indirectly adopt the point of view of the traumatized person.
Thus the narrator of Small town grew up in Burundi, like the author, while that of Jacaranda was born in France, before leaving for Kigali to study post-genocide justice.
Time.news Editor: Welcome, everyone, to this special edition of Time.news. Today, we have the honor of speaking with acclaimed author and winner of the 2024 Renaudot Prize, Gaël Faye. Congratulations on your recent achievement, Gaël!
Gaël Faye: Thank you! It’s truly an honor to receive such a prestigious award—especially for a work that carries so much personal and collective significance.
Editor: Your novel Jacaranda explores the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide through the eyes of Milan, a young man with a French father and a Rwandan mother. What motivated you to write from this unique perspective?
Faye: My background has always played a significant role in my storytelling. Growing up in both France and Burundi, I’ve experienced the complexities of identity firsthand. By narrating through Milan, I sought to illuminate the often-overlooked and painful legacy of the genocide while also reflecting on how such events shape our understanding of home and belonging.
Editor: That’s fascinating. How did your earlier work inform your approach to Jacaranda? You previously won the Small Town Goncourt Prize for high school students with your first novel. Did that shape your writing journey?
Faye: Certainly. Winning the Small Town Goncourt was both a validation and an encouragement to delve deeper into themes of identity and memory. It was a different angle—looking through the innocent eyes of a boy in Burundi. With Jacaranda, I aimed to bridge my personal experiences with the broader historical context of Rwanda’s past, which requires a more nuanced and mature perspective.
Editor: In the novel, memory plays a crucial role. Can you elaborate on how you portray the omnipresence of the genocide in Kigali and its impact on Milan’s journey?
Faye: Memory in Rwanda is a living entity; it’s woven into the fabric of everyday life. Milan’s exploration of Kigali is not just about physical spaces but also about the emotional landscapes that are significantly shaped by the past. He encounters stories—both spoken and unspoken—from family members, which forces him to confront his own identity and heritage. This interplay offers a way to process trauma and reconcile with history.
Editor: You’ve touched on both personal and collective narratives which has become increasingly important in contemporary literature. How do you see your works contributing to the dialogues surrounding memory and reconciliation?
Faye: I believe literature has a powerful role in fostering understanding. By sharing stories like Milan’s, I hope to contribute to a broader conversation about healing and resilience. It’s essential for readers to engage with these narratives, as they remind us of our shared humanity and the importance of empathy in the face of profound suffering.
Editor: Absolutely. Lastly, what message do you hope readers take away from Jacaranda?
Faye: I hope readers come away with a sense of the complexity of identity, the weight of history, and the brief luminosity of love and life amidst darkness. It’s about remembrance, connection, and the threads that bind us despite the scars left by our histories.
Editor: Thank you so much, Gaël, for your insights today, and once again, congratulations on your Renaudot Prize win! We look forward to sharing Jacaranda with our readers.
Faye: Thank you for having me! It’s been a pleasure.
