“She has the ability to sketch a whole life of hopes and defeats in a single paragraph.” Le Monde

Rich in the history of the island’s customs and superstitions, The Rarest Fruit is an exciting and highly original blend of fantasy, Creole mythology and Réunionese folklore.

Translated by Karen Fleetwood and Laetitia Saint-Loubert, Gaëlle Bélem’s fictionalised biography The Rarest Fruit Or The Life of Edmond Albius tells the story of a Black orphan, a slave of only seven weeks, who is placed into the arms of a botanist with a passion for orchids. This two-century-old story is brought back to life in voluptuous, no-nonsense prose driven by a wild, offbeat humour.

Gaëlle Bélem has published three novels in French; Un monstre est là, derrière la porte, Le fruit le plus rare and Sud sauvage. She works as a juvenile court judge as well as teaching Latin, Geography and History. The English translation of There’s a Monster Behind the Door was longlisted for the International Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses.

In conversation with Professor Mary Gallagher.

Presented with support from the Embassy of France in Ireland.

Duration: 1 hour