In Blaise Ndala's magnificent second novel, originally published as Sans Capote Ni Kalachnikov in 2017, the paths of a Canadian documentary filmmaker and two former rebel soldiers from the Congo collide in this searing revenge tale about those who profit from the misery of others.

Los Angeles, 2002. Véronique Quesnel accepts the Best Documentary Oscar for "Sona: Rape and Terror in the Heart of Darkness", basking in the praise of her privileged audience. She has drawn attention to "the center of gravity that is Black tragedy", which attracted her away from her life in Montreal, and to the harrowing story of Sona, a young woman who escaped sex slavery. But this lauded film has also shone a dangerous spotlight on Véronique herself. In the Great Lakes region of Africa, Master Corporal Red Ant and his cousin Baby Che are stalking the remnants of the Second Congo War - the deadliest conflict since World War II. In search of truth and vengeance, their obsession now has a name.

The original French novel was awarded many honours, such as:

Winner - 2019 Radio-Canada Combats des livres

Winner - 2018 Prix Émergence de l'Association des auteurs et auteures de l'Ontario français

Finalist - 2018 Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire

Special Mention - 2018 Prix Ivoire pour la littérature africaine d'expression francophone

Finalist - 2017 Trillium Book Award

Blaise Ndala is an award-winning novelist. His first novel, J’irai danser sur la tombe de Senghor, won the Ottawa Book Prize in the French Fiction category, was a finalist for the Trillium Book Award, and has been optioned by the award-winning French film director and producer Rachid Bouchareb. His second novel, Sans capote ni kalachnikov, won the 2019 edition of the Combat national des livres de Radio-Canada and was also a finalist for the Trillium Book Award, Les Afriques Prize, the Black Africa Literary Prize, and the Prix Ivoire for African Literature (Special Mention). His latest novel, Dans le ventre du Congo (In the Belly of the Congo), won the Prix Kourouma and the Prix Ivoire for African Literature, and was also a finalist for the Grand Prix du Roman Métis, the Five Continents of the Francophonie Prize, and the Porte Dorée Literary Prize. Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Blaise Ndala emigrated to Canada in 2007. He worked as a representative in Haiti for the NGO Avocats sans frontières Canada and is now a jurist in Ottawa. Connect with him at his website BlaiseNdala.com or on Twitter at @Blaise_Ndala.

Blaise Ndala's profile page

Dimitri Nasrallah was born in 1977, during the Lebanese civil war. In 1981,
his family went into exile, living in Athens, Kuwait, and Dubai before
immigrating to Canada in 1988. He received a Bachelor's degree from York
University in 2001, and then a Master's degree from Concordia University in
2003. He currently lives in Montreal. Apart from his creative work, he is a cultural critic whose writing has appeared
in national and international publications, including the Montreal Gazette,
Montreal Review of Books, Exclaim!, Toronto's Eye Weekly, Urb, and several
others.Blackbodying is his first novel.

Dimitri Nasrallah's profile page