Rwandan author and musician Gaël Faye has been awarded the 2024 Prix Renaudot, one of France’s most prestigious literary honours, for his novel "Jacaranda” published in September.
The award, announced on Monday, November 4, at the historic Parisian restaurant Drouant, recognizes Jacaranda as a powerful narrative exploring the effect of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and its impact on current and next generations.
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Faye, 42, also known for his hip-hop artistry, has crafted a work that speaks to the universal themes of trauma, memory, and healing.
Jacaranda, Faye’s second novel after ‘Petit Pays,’ follows the lives of young Rwandans and diaspora characters grappling with the heavy weight of history.
The novel’s central narrative starts from Milan, a young man born in France to a French father and a Rwandan mother who keeps silent about his past.
Milan’s journey takes him from the comfort of Versailles, where he first encountered Rwanda&039;s tragic history on TV, to Kigali, where he reconnects with his family and the country’s vivid life.
Through Milan’s eyes, readers meet a cast of characters scarred by the Genocide yet determined to move forward. Among them is Claude, a survivor of Milan's age, whom Milan’s family takes in temporarily.
Milan’s return to Rwanda as an adult brings him face-to-face with Rwanda’s efforts at reconciliation, from the "Gacaca courts” to the vibrant yet dark-coloured gatherings of those piecing their lives back together.
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Stella, A child of the aftermath
One of Jacaranda's most touching characters is Stella, Milan’s young cousin born just four years after the genocide. Her mother, Eusébie, who also lost children in the violence, is determined to give Stella a life untouched by tragedy, though this desire is laced with her own unspoken grief.
Stella, representing a new generation, grows up in Rwanda’s transforming landscape, bearing the weight of history without fully understanding it. Through her, Faye captures the struggle of being a "child of the aftermath,” someone born in the shadow of pain but expected to embody resilience.
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A text against forgetting
Faye’s novel is described as "a text against oblivion.” Through Jacaranda, he reminds readers of the importance of acknowledging the past and listening to its lessons, even when painful. This theme resonated with the Prix Renaudot jury, who honoured Faye’s nuanced portrayal of memory and generational trauma.
The novel’s title, Jacaranda, evokes the beauty and resilience of the jacaranda tree, which flourishes in Rwanda’s soil despite hardship.
The story also suggests that, while scars from the past endure, life continues to bloom, and younger generations can shape a hopeful future while respecting the weight of their heritage.
Born in Burundi to a Rwandan mother and French father, Gaël Faye has spent the last decade in Rwanda, deeply connected to his roots.
Known internationally for his music and literature, he made his literary debut in 2016 with Petit Pays (Small Country), a semi-autobiographical novel that tells the story of Gabriel, a young boy caught in Burundi’s civil war. Petit Pays won multiple awards, sold over 1.5 million copies, and was adapted into a film and a graphic novel.
Also, French President Emmanuel Macron praised Faye, noting how his work demonstrates the French language’s power to convey both beauty and tragedy. Thus, his win highlights his dual talent as a writer and musician who has already bridged cultures, languages, and generations, making his story deeply connected with readers worldwide.