The most secret memory of men : a novel
(Book)

"In 2018, Di�egane Latyr Faye, a young Senegalese writer in Paris, discovers a legendary book from the 1930s, The Labyrinth of Inhumanity. No one knows what became of its author, once hailed as the 'Black Rimbaud,' after the book caused a scandal. Enthralled by this mystery, Di�egane decides to search for T.C. Elimane, going down a path that will force him to confront the great tragedies of history, from colonialism to the Holocaust. Alongside his investigation, Di�egane becomes part of a group of young African writers in Paris. Together they talk, drink, make love, philosophize about the role of exile in artistic creation. Di�egane grows particularly close to two women: the seductive Siga, who holds so many secrets, and the photojournalist A�ida, impossible to pin down. The Most Secret Memory of Men is...[a] novel about the choice between living and writing, and the desire to transcend the divide between Africa and the West. Above all, it is an ode to literature and its timelessness." --publisher's website.

Originally published:,Paris : �Editions Philippe Rey, in co-edition with �Editions Jimsaan, Dakar, 2021,in French as,La plus secr�ete m�emoire des hommes.

English translation from the French.

National Book Award for translated literature, 2023 Longlist