When the Night Agrees to Speak to Me - Paperback

by Ananda Devi (Author), Kazim Ali (Translator)

A poetic, autobiographical collection from famed Mauritian writer Ananda Devi, engaging with loneliness, desire, violence, and aging.

"I'm sick of biting off and chewing this dust, of scratching with my thin claws, searching for some chunk of literary gold to hell with all the disarrayed images of our homelands reflections of our particular misery."

From eminent Mauritian writer Ananda Devi, a collection that transgresses genre lines with poetic, autobiographical flow. The pieces herein address the resonance of personal memories and regrets, the political world, and sexuality. In light of the complexity of human identity, Devi emphasizes the importance of each word chosen, speaking directly to the reader and asking them to "peel back my skin. Unclothe me of myself."

Author Biography

Born in Mauritius, Ananda Devi is one of the major French language writers and was awarded the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government in 2010. Her literary awards include the Prix des Cinq Continents de la Francophonie (2006) and Prix Télévision Suisse Romande (2007) for Eve Out of Her Ruins, as well as the Prix Louis-Guilloux (2010) and the Prix Mokanda (2012) for other works. The English edition of Eve Out of Her Ruins was published by Deep Vellum in 2015.

Kazim Ali is a poet and translator, currently associate professor of creative writing and comparative literature at Oberlin College, USA. Kazim Ali's books include several volumes of poetry, including Inquisition, Sky Ward, winner of the Ohioana Book Award in Poetry; The Far Mosque, winner of Alice James Books' New England/New York Award; The Fortieth Day; All One's Blue; and the cross-genre text Bright Felon. His novels include the recently published The Secret Room: A String Quartet.