Overview

Alfa and Mademba 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. Here David Diop captures the tragedy of a young man's mind hurtling towards madness and tells the little-heard story of the Senegalese who fought for France on the Western Front. 'So incantatory and visceral I don't think I'll ever forget it' - Ali Smith, Guardian Book of the Year 'This slight book explodes with extraordinary force - readers will not forget it in a hurry' Antonia Senior, The Times, Historical Fiction Book of the Month & Year 'An extraordinary novel, full of sadness, rage and beauty' - Sarah Waters

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9781782275862

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Reviews

'An extraordinary novel, full of sadness, rage and beauty' - Sarah Waters 'So incantatory and visceral I don't think I'll ever forget it' - Ali Smith, Guardian 'It is an intense exploration of the dehumanising effect of war and colonialism. This slight book explodes with extraordinary force - readers will not forget it in a hurry' - The Times, Historical Fiction Book of the Month 'More than a century after World War I, a great new African writer is asking these questions in a spare yet extraordinary novel about this bloody stain on human history' - Chigozie Obioma, New York Times Book Review 'An unrelenting take on war, race, masculinity, and colonialism... Diop's short, sharp, and serrated novel is a visceral dramatization of how our humanity and inhumanity are forever intertwined' - Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of The Sympathizer 'A short, powerful novel... Diop presents a world with no firm dividing line between courage and madness, murder and warfare; the most dedicated killers are awarded the Croix de Guerre. Alfa's final transformation, as he attempts to atone for his guilt over the death of his friend, is unexpected, poetic - and chilling' - Spectator

Author Information

David Diop was born in Paris in 1966 and grew up in Senegal. He currently lives in France, where he is head of the Arts, Languages and Literature Research Department at University of Pau. At Night All Blood is Black is his second novel. It was shortlisted for ten major prizes in France and won the Prix Goncourt des Lyc'ens and the Prix Patrimoines. It is currently being translated into 11 languages and has already won the Strega European Prize in Italy.

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