Francofest 2025 / Newmag Presents “Jacaranda” by Gaël Faye - Winner of the French Goncourt in 25 Countries and Regions (Trailer)

Newmag Publishing presents the new French novel “Jacaranda” by Gaël Faye, the acclaimed author of “Petit Pays” and one of the most powerful voices in contemporary Francophone literature.

The title itself carries symbolic weight. The jacaranda, a purple-blossomed tree, represents rebirth and hope, yet it also shelters shadows of silence and pain. This poetic and deeply human novel stands like an ancient tree on the border between darkness and light, reminding us that humanity, though capable of cruelty, is ultimately driven by love and the will to live.

Through the intertwined destinies of four generations, Faye explores Rwanda’s turbulent century and the collective trauma of the Tutsi genocide. The story follows a young man born in France who returns to Africa in search of his roots, and of his mother’s silence, which hides a painful past.

“Jacaranda is not a sequel to Petit Pays, but another piece of the same mosaic,” says Faye. “It seeks to unveil Rwanda’s complex reality, the clash between silence and memory, the bond between generations. Writing, for me, is a way to fight silence. Family silence never protects a child; it only breeds insecurity and anger. I turned that silence into literature, a ladder to climb the wall.”

Gaël Faye, born in 1982 in Burundi to a Rwandan Tutsi mother and a French father, rose to international fame with Petit Pays, which received multiple literary awards in 2016. Before becoming a novelist, Faye was known as a rapper and musician, performing with “Milk Coffee and Sugar” and later releasing his acclaimed solo album “Pili-Pili sur un croissant au beurre”.

Today, Faye lives in Rwanda with his wife and two daughters. His voice, at once poetic, lyrical, and sharp, embodies the dialogue between continents, generations, and identities.

Jacaranda was nominated for the Prix Goncourt and went on to win the Armenian Goncourt Prize. It is a novel about love, identity, and the power of remembrance, about a people who survived genocide and continue to heal through memory and hope.

The Armenian translation of “Jacaranda” was done by Taguhi Blbulyan.

The book presentation will take place at Francofest 2025, on November 15, at 16:00, at the Congress Hotel.

On that day, readers will be able to purchase the book at a special discount.