MOHAMED MBOUGAR SARR was born in Dakar in 1990. He studied literature and philosophy in Paris and is the author of four prize-winning novels. The Most Secret Memory of Men was awarded France's Prix Goncourt in 2021 and is an international phenomenon, selling more than half a million copies in France and translated into more than thirty languages.
Captivating, precise, sensual prose. A book that will stir your emotions and make you think. A love letter to literature, this novel is already a classic and it will haunt you. -- Leïla Slimani, bestselling author of LULLABY More than an engrossing investigation into the mysterious author of a cursed book, Sarr's magnificent novel also offers a profound reflection on the resonance of literature in our lives. -- David Diop, International Booker Prize–winning author of AT NIGHT ALL BLOOD IS BLACK A powerful book, crossed by an epic breath that celebrates the power of literature. -- Alain Mabanckou, author of BLACK MOSES Thanks to translator Lara Vergnaud, English-language readers can seamlessly experience Mohamed Mbougar Sarr's pyrotechnic prose. A labyrinth of a novel, The Most Secret Memory of Men is as enthralling as it is thought-provoking. Sarr is a writer that comes along once in a lifetime. -- Eric Nguyen, author of THINGS WE LOST TO THE WATER This marvellous novel is part gripping literary mystery and part disquisition on being a black author in a predominantly white culture… the reader is drawn into a skilfully drawn reconstruction of French literary history in which ideas of authenticity, power, race and fame are wittily deconstructed. Terrific * Daily Mail *