THE HEART OF THE LEOPARD CHILDREN

by Wilfried N’Sondé

Saturday, October 26th – 4pm
Alliance Française 

The Alliance Française of Vancouver, EUNIC Canada-Vancouver, in parnership with the Vancouver Writers Fest and the French Embassy, present the EU BOOK CLUB FRANCE with a special guest as the author himself! The event will be held both in English and French.

The heart of the leopard children

A nameless young man lives in the housing projects outside of Paris. When he was a child, his parents moved with him from the Congo to France, hoping in vain to escape poverty and violence. During a night, there is a fight with a policeman, the policeman dies, and the young man is arrested and taken to jail. Between police beatings and abrupt interrogations, his memory becomes his sole ally to escape from the exiguous space in which he is confined. In The Heart of the Leopard Children, N’Sondé explores the themes of love and pain, belonging and uprooting, desire and fear―all with an implacable and irresistible accuracy. Wilfried N’Sondé’s first novel awakens the reader with an urban symphony of desire and lost love, attuned to the violence that accompanies the struggle for social ascension and a sense of belonging, and the paralyzing sentiment of betrayal that inhabits a young man caught between traditions and cultures. This first novel was awarded the Prix des Cinq Continents de la Francophonie and the Prix Senghor.

Le Coeur des enfants Léopard Un jeune homme retrouve ses esprits au fond d'une cellule, en garde à vue. Que s'est-il passé ? Mireille, son grand amour l'a quitté brusquement, il a beaucoup bu... Comment se rappeler ? Un policier le bouscule, l'interroge, mais les vraies questions viennent d'ailleurs : dans le brouillard de ses pensées, c'est la voix des ancêtres qui résonne soudain, comme un chant intérieur venu d'Afrique, invoquant les valeurs du partage, de l'honneur, de l'héritage, et de l'espoir. Avec une justesse implacable, d'une langue poétique, rythmée et sensuelle, l'auteur explore la douleur et l'amour, l'appartenance et la violence, le désir et l'effroi dans un roman aussi émouvant que percutant. Ce premier roman a reçu  deux prix littéraires, Le Prix des Cinq Continents de la Francophonie and the Prix Senghor.

THE AUTHOR
 

Wilfried N’Sondé was born in 1969 in the Congo (Brazzaville) and grew up in France. He is widely considered one of the shining lights of the new generation of African and Afropean writers. His work has received considerable critical attention and been recognized with prestigious literary awards, including the Prix des Cinq Continents de la Francophonie and the Prix Senghor de la création littéraire.

Wilfried N’Sondé est né en 1969 au Congo (Brazzaville) et a grandi en France. Il est largement considéré comme l'une des étoiles montantes de la nouvelle génération d'écrivains africains. Son travail a reçu une attention critique considérable et a reçu des récompenses littéraires prestigieuses, dont le Prix des Cinq Continents de la Francophonie et le Prix Senghor de la création littéraire.

Admission is free, but please register by e-mail: eubookclub@alliancefrancaise.ca

Copies of the book in its English translation  are available at the VPL and at the Alliance Française. Copies can be purchased online through Indiana University Press, Amazon or Indigo.