David Diop Wins the International Booker Prize, 2021

Hello Gentle Reader,
 
The International Booker Prize for 2021 has been awarded to: David Diop with his novel: “At Night All Blood is Black.”
 
There is something to be said about dark horses when it comes to the International Booker Prize, as it appears that the International Booker Prize disregards the conventional understandings of its senior award and namesake, the Booker Prize. As the Booker Prize has the proven precedence and convention to honour previous winners and established writers.  On the contrary, however, the International Booker Prize, over the past few years have proven a disregard for such formalities or critical approval. Two prime examples include the following:
 
In 2019 the French writer Annie Ernaux was considered the critics favourite by the critics to receive the prize, with her autofiction and third-person objective memoir: “The Years.”  Despite the critical acclaim and being considered the frontrunner for the award, the 2019 International Booker Prize went to, Jokha Alharthi and her novel: “Celestial Bodies.”
 
This situation was repeated the following year, when the Japanese writer, Yōko Ogawa was shortlisted with her novel: “The Memory Police,” which was regarded as a testament to a year of isolation, of eschewed normalcy, as it was a potent reminder of the power of memory to feign off absence and loss. Despite the critical acclaim and the obvious frontrunner for the award, the 2020 International Booker Prize went to, Marieke Lucas Rijneveld with their novel: “The Discomfort of Evening.”
 
The same situation once again appears to repeat itself in 2021. The frontrunner for the award was considered the Russian literary star, Maria Stepanova and her family memoir turned autofiction work: “Memory of Memory.” Despite the critical acclaim and the speculation that Stepanova was guaranteed the award, the judges had decided otherwise, awarding the French novelist David Diop for his novel: “At Night All Blood is Black.”
 
It is not meant insultingly when it is stated that of the shortlisted writers for this year’s International Booker Prize, David Diop was the dark horse amongst them. His novel was quietly contemplated and considered, but never discussed with the open vigor that Maria Stepanova’s work was. Perhaps this lack of public image is what assisted in Diop in receiving the prize.
 
“At Night All Blood is Black,” recounts the tale of two Senegalese soldiers who fight in World War I for France, and the horrors of war, but also the witness the personal descent into madness, savagery, and cruelty during such times. The Chair of the Judges, Lucy Hughes-Hallett, referred to the novel as a “extraordinary novel,” and further recounted that the language employed by David Diop is sensual, beautiful, creative and shifting language will enchant readers, but will not censor or hide the violence, brutality and callous cruelty of war and battle; but what comes forth from the bloodshed is perhaps a sense of poetry of slaughter.
 
Congratulations to David Diop on winning the International Booker Prize for 2021. The award will be shared between himself and his translator, Anna Moschovakis.
 
 
Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
 
M. Mary