The Albertine Book Club will discuss Broken Glass by Alain Mabanckou, translated by Helen Stevenson, and published by Soft Skull Press.

The Credit is a filthy bar in the Congo, a refuge for marginal characters united by the same passion for the bottle. Broken Glass, the patriarch of the place, is a former teacher who has an incredible gift for writing and to whom the owner of the bar has entrusted the task of telling the adventures that take place there. In a Rabelaisian vein, Alain Mabanckou gives us a jubilant and refreshing portrait of African reality with a lot of invention and irony.

Born in Congo-Brazzaville in 1966, Alain Mabanckou has already received several awards for his novels, including the Grand Prix littéraire de l’Afrique noire, the Prix du roman Ouest-France du grand voyageur, the Prix des Cinq Continents de la Francophonie and the Prix RFO du livre in 2005 for Broken Glass. He is one of the leaders of the young generation of African authors.

Albertine Members will receive a Zoom invitation to join this book club session via email.

The Albertine Book Club is free and open to Albertine Constellation members. Speakers of French and English are both welcome. For more information on how to become an Albertine member, click here.