Mohamed Mbougar Sarr

Mohamed Mbougar Sarr was born in 1990 in Dakar, Senegal.{{Cite news|last=Roussel|first=Frédérique|date=3 November 2021|title=Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, Goncourt du renouveau|language=fr|work=Libération|url=https://www.liberation.fr/culture/livres/mohamed-mbougar-sarr-goncourt-du-renouveau-20211103_EQQMUKBPN5BFDD4S7CRZVWJN3A/|access-date=3 November 2021}} The son of a physician, he grew up in a large Serer family in Diourbel.[http://www.jeuneafrique.com/231032/societe/litt-rature-le-s-n-galais-mohamed-mbougar-sarr-remporte-le-prix-kourouma-pour-terre-ceinte/ Littérature: le Sénégalais Mohamed Mbougar Sarr remporte le prix Kourouma pour « Terre Ceinte »], Jeune Afrique, 1 May 2015 (French).{{Cite news |date=3 November 2021 |title=Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, premier écrivain d'Afrique subsaharienne à remporter le prix Goncourt |language=fr |work=Libération |url=https://www.liberation.fr/culture/livres/mohamed-mbougar-sarr-remporte-le-prix-goncourt-20211103_KANFXJ56JVBPPKJM4B6FTDUDQE/ |access-date=5 November 2021}} He completed his secondary studies at the Prytanée militaire of Saint-Louis. He moved to France to study in CPGE (classe préparatoire aux grandes écoles) at the {{ill|lycée Pierre-d'Ailly|fr}} in Compiègne. He later studied at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS), where his research focused on Léopold Sédar Senghor. Sarr began writing more and pursued fiction, opting not to finish his thesis at the EHESS.

Sarr's short story "La cale" (2014), about the slave trade, was awarded the Prix Stéphane-Hessel.{{Cite journal|last=Alix|first=Florian|date=2015|title=Terre ceinte|journal=Afrique contemporaine|language=fr|volume=256|issue=4|pages=158|doi=10.3917/afco.256.0158|issn=0002-0478}} His debut novel, Terre ceinte (2015), describes life in a fictional Sahelian village under the control of Islamist jihadi militias. In 2015, it received the Prix Ahmadou-Kourouma at the Salon du livre of Geneva. It was also awarded the 2015 Grand prix du roman métis by the city of Saint-Denis de La Réunion,{{Cite news |last=Morand |first=Catherine |date=4 May 2015 |title=Le roman d'un jeune Sénégalais, Terre ceinte, reçoit le prix Kourouma 2015 |language=fr |work=Le Monde Afrique |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2015/05/04/le-roman-d-un-jeune-senegalais-terre-ceinte-recoit-le-prix-kourouma-2015_4626718_3212.html |url-status=dead |access-date=3 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912071450/https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2015/05/04/le-roman-d-un-jeune-senegalais-terre-ceinte-recoit-le-prix-kourouma-2015_4626718_3212.html |archive-date=12 September 2015}} as well as the 2015 Prix du roman métis des lycéens.{{Cite news |date=8 December 2015 |title=Prix du Roman Métis des Lycéens 2015 |language=fr |work=La Réunion des Livres |url=http://www.la-reunion-des-livres.re/actions/2015/prix-du-roman-metis-des-lyceens-2015/ |access-date=4 November 2021}} In 2021, an English translation by Alexia Trigo, titled Brotherhood, was published by Europa Editions.{{Cite news |last=Nelson |first=Caleb Azumah |date=6 July 2021 |title=Debut Novels by Jesse McCarthy, Gabriel Krauze and Mohamed Mbougar Sarr |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/06/books/review/jesse-mccarthy-fugitivities-gabriel-krauze-who-they-was-mohamed-mbougar-sarr-brotherhood.html |access-date=4 November 2021}}

At the 2017 Jeux de la Francophonie, he received the bronze medal in the literature category for his short story "Ndënd".{{Cite news |date=26 July 2017 |title=Jeux de la francophonie : Mohamed Mbougar Sarr remporte la médaille de bronze de la catégorie littérature |work=La Libre Afrique |url=https://afrique.lalibre.be/6490/jeux-de-la-francophonie-mohamed-mbougar-sarr-remporte-la-medaille-de-bronze-de-la-categorie-litterature/ |access-date=3 November 2021}}

His second novel, Silence du chœur (2017), a portrait of the day-to-day life of African migrants in Sicily, received the prix littérature monde at the {{ill|Étonnants Voyageurs|fr}} festival in Saint-Malo. It also received the Prix du roman métis des lecteurs of Saint-Denis de La Réunion in 2018.{{Cite news |date=19 May 2018 |title=Le Sénégalais Mohamed Mbougar Sarr lauréat du prix Littérature-monde 2018 |language=fr |work=Jeune Afrique |agency=Agence France-Presse |url=http://www.jeuneafrique.com/561188/culture/le-senegalais-mohamed-mbougar-sarr-laureat-du-prix-litterature-monde-2018/ |access-date=3 November 2021}}{{Cite web |title=Prix du Roman Métis des Lecteurs |url=https://www.la-reunion-des-livres.re/categorie/manifestations/prix-litteraires/prix-du-roman-metis-des-lecteurs/ |access-date=3 November 2021 |website=La Réunion des Livres |language=fr}} In 2024, an English translation by Alison Anderson, titled The Silence of the Choir, was published by Europa Editions.{{Cite news |last=Mengestu |first=Dinaw |author-link=Dinaw Mengestu |date=22 May 2024 |title=How Should the Stories of Migrants Be Told? |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/22/books/review/mohamed-mbougar-sarr-silence-of-the-choir.html |access-date=25 July 2024}}

His third novel, De purs hommes (2018), deals with the prejudice and violence surrounding homosexuality in Senegal, where it is still illegal to be openly gay.

File:Mohamed Mbougar Sarr 3nov2021.jpg in Paris to receive the Prix Goncourt on 3 November 2021.]]

In November 2021, he was awarded the Prix Goncourt for his novel La plus secrète mémoire des hommes ({{literal translation}} 'The Most Secret Memory of Men').{{Cite news |last=Henley |first=Jon |date=3 November 2021 |title=Senegal's Mohamed Mbougar Sarr wins top French literary prize |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/nov/03/senegals-mohamed-mbougar-sarr-wins-french-literary-prize-prix-goncourt |access-date=3 November 2021}} Sarr won in the first round of voting, by six votes against three votes for Sorj Chalandon and one vote for Louis-Philippe Dalembert.{{Cite news |last=Payot |first=Marianne |date=4 November 2021 |title=Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, Goncourt 2021 : dans les coulisses d'une après-midi chargée |language=fr |work=L'Express |url=https://www.lexpress.fr/culture/mohamed-mbougar-sarr-l-apres-midi-d-un-goncourt_2161729.html |access-date=7 November 2021}} He is the first person from Sub-Saharan Africa to win the Prix Goncourt{{Cite news |date=3 November 2021 |title=Mohamed Mbougar Sarr wins Goncourt Prize, France's most prestigious literary award |language=en |work=France 24 |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20211103-mohamed-mbougar-sarr-wins-goncourt-prize-france-s-most-prestigious-literary-award |access-date=3 November 2021}},.{{Cite web |last=Michel |first=Nicolas |title=Prix Goncourt 2021 : Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, la littérature et la vie |url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1233697/culture/prix-goncourt-2021-mohamed-mbougar-sarr-la-litterature-et-la-vie/}} At 31 years old, he is also the youngest Goncourt laureate since Patrick Grainville won in 1976.{{Cite news |last=de Saint-Vincent |first=Simon |date=3 November 2021 |title=Le prix Goncourt 2021 est attribué à Mohamed Mbougar Sarr |language=fr |work=Vanity Fair France |url=https://www.vanityfair.fr/actualites/article/le-prix-goncourt-2021-est-attribue-a-mohamed-mbougar-sarr |access-date=4 November 2021}} The novel was also shortlisted for the Prix Femina{{Cite news |last=Develey |first=Alice |date=29 September 2021 |title=Découvrez la deuxième liste du prix Femina |language=fr |work=Le Figaro |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/livres/decouvrez-la-deuxieme-liste-du-prix-femina-20210929 |access-date=4 November 2021}} and the Prix Renaudot;{{Cite news |last=Develey |first=Alice |date=7 October 2021 |title=Découvrez la deuxième liste du prix Renaudot |language=fr |work=Le Figaro |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/livres/decouvrez-la-deuxieme-liste-du-prix-renaudot-20211007 |access-date=4 November 2021}} and longlisted for the Prix Médicis{{Cite news |last=Develey |first=Alice |date=8 September 2021 |title=Le prix Médicis 2021 dévoile sa première sélection |language=fr |work=Le Figaro |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/livres/le-prix-medicis-2021-devoile-sa-premiere-selection-20210908 |access-date=4 November 2021}} and for the 2023 National Book Award for Translated Literature.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-2023-national-book-awards-longlist-translated-literature |title=The 2023 National Book Awards Longlist: Translated Literature |accessdate=September 14, 2023 |date=September 13, 2023 |magazine=The New Yorker}}

• 2014: Prix Stéphane-Hessel for "La cale"{{Cite web |date=2018-05-15 |title=Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, prix littérature-monde 2018 |url=https://www.lepoint.fr/livres/mohamed-mbougar-sarr-prix-litterature-monde-2018--15-05-2018-2218567_37.php |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Le Point |language=fr}}
• 2015: Prix Ahmadou-Kourouma for Brotherhood{{Cite web |date=2015-05-01 |title=Salon du livre africain de Genève. Lauréat : "Terre ceinte" de Mohamed Mbougar Sarr |url=https://www.lepoint.fr/culture/salon-du-livre-africain-de-geneve-revelation-terre-ceinte-de-mohamed-mbougar-sarr-01-05-2015-1925641_3.php |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Le Point |language=fr}}
• 2015: Grand prix du roman métis for Brotherhood[http://www.jeuneafrique.com/231270/politique/s-n-gal-mohamed-mbougar-sarr-lire-apporte-un-surplus-de-vision-politique/ Sénégal – Mohamed Mbougar Sarr : « Lire apporte un surplus de vision politique »], Jeune Afrique, 7 May 2015 (French).
• 2021: Prix Goncourt for The Most Secret Memory of Men{{Cite web |date=2021-11-03 |title=Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, prix Goncourt 2021 pour "La plus secrète mémoire des hommes" |url=https://www.franceculture.fr/litterature/mohamed-mbougar-sarr-prix-goncourt-2021-pour-la-plus-secrete-memoire-des-hommes |access-date=2021-11-03 |website=franceculture.fr}}

• — (2014). "La cale".
• {{Cite book |last=Sarr |first=Mohamed Mbougar |title=Terre ceinte |publisher=Éditions Présence Africaine |year=2014 |isbn=978-2-7087-0881-5 |location=Paris |author-mask=1}}
• {{Cite book |last=Sarr |first=Mohamed Mbougar |translator-last=Trigo |translator-first=Alexia |title=Brotherhood |title-link=Brotherhood (novel) |publisher=Europa Editions |year=2021 |isbn=978-1-60945-672-6 |author-mask=1}}
• {{Cite book |last=Sarr |first=Mohamed Mbougar |title=Silence du chœur |publisher=Éditions Présence Africaine |year=2017 |isbn=9782708709041 |location=Paris |author-mask=1}}
• {{Cite book |last=Sarr |first=Mohamed Mbougar |translator-last=Anderson |translator-first=Alison |title=The Silence of the Choir |publisher=Europa Editions |year=2024 |isbn=9798889660200 |location=New York |author-mask=1}}
• {{Cite book |last=Sarr |first=Mohamed Mbougar |title={{ill|De purs hommes|fr}} |publisher=Éditions Philippe Rey / Jimsaan |year=2018 |isbn=978-2-84876-663-8 |author-mask=1}}
• {{Cite book |last=Sarr |first=Mohamed Mbougar |title=La plus secrète mémoire des hommes |publisher=Éditions Philippe Rey / Jimsaan |year=2021 |isbn=978-2-84876-886-1 |author-mask=1}}
• {{Cite book |last=Sarr |first=Mohamed Mbougar |translator-last=Vergnaud |translator-first=Lara |title=The Most Secret Memory of Men |title-link=The Most Secret Memory of Men |publisher=Other Press |year=2023 |isbn=978-1-63542-327-3 |location=New York |author-mask=1}}

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Category:1990 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century Senegalese writers

Category:People from Dakar

Category:Prix Goncourt winners

Category:School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences alumni

Category:Senegalese emigrants to France

Category:Senegalese writers in French