The ticket price is redeemable towards a copy of Jacaranda on the night.

Date: Tuesday, 27th of October

Location: Round Table Books CIC, 10-11 Granville Arcade, Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8PR (next to Honest Burger)

Time: 18:30 doors & begins at 19:00

Join us for an evening with the international bestselling Rwandan-French novelist and hip-hop artist Gaël Faye

He will be joined by his translator Sarah Ardizzone, and they will both be interviewed by Meera Ghanshamdas

Over the course of many years, a young man returns to Rwanda again and again, compelled to confront the past and imagine a new kind of future. Jacaranda is a deeply felt portrait of a man seeking to understand his family and his nation.

Gaël Faye was born in Burundi and now lives in Rwanda. His debut novel, Small Country, received thirteen literary awards, including the Prix Goncourt des Lycéens. It has been translated into forty languages and adapted for film, theatre, and graphic novel. In 2024, his second novel, Jacaranda, was awarded the Prix Renaudot and Choix Goncourt in 28 countries. An author, songwriter and hip-hop artist, he has also released several music albums, including Pili Pili sur un croissant au beurre (2013), Rythme et botanique(2017), Des fleurs (2018), Lundi méchant (2020), and Mauve Jacaranda (2022).

Sarah Ardizzone is an award-winning translator of French-speaking voices. Her collaborations with Gaël Faye include translating his debut novel, producing a musical performance of Small Country (Petit Pays) for the Edinburgh International Book Festival, and versioning English lyrics to the platinum album Lundi méchant. For Jacaranda, Ardizzone travelled in Rwanda with Faye and graphic novel creators, Marzena Sowa and Sylvain Savoia. She was named Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2022 and elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2024.

Books and refreshments from Round Table’s Bar will be available for purchase on the night.