Alain Mabanckou Discusses Charlie Hebdo, Edinburgh and the Open Book Festival

Congolese author Alain Mabanckou, who splits his time between France, Congo and the US, spoke at the 2015 Open Book Festival last week. We caught up with him for a quick interview after his talk on his Man Booker-longlisted book on James Baldwin, Letter to Jimmy.

On presenting the the PEN/Toni and James C. Goodale Freedom of Expression Courage Award to French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo:

I wanted to show up to give that award to Charlie Hebdo because I believe in freedom of expression. I was really surprised to see that some American writers were disagreeing with that reception, stating that Charlie Hebdo was a kind of racist newspaper – this is wrong. I think that those writers have never read Charlie Hebdo before and as writers we need to defend freedom of expression because that is what is helping us to be free and to write. We don’t need to help the fundamentalists to come and destroy what we gained a long time ago through struggle, by risking our own lives.

On the Edinburgh Literary Festival and the Open Book Festival:

I think that both festivals are interesting because they focus on world literature, so I came here and met a publisher from Sweden, a writer from Belgium and I’m from Congo – it was the same situation in Edinburgh. I think that they are the two festivals that I like the most. It was my second time going to the festival in Edinburgh and it was my second time to come here, which means that I am becoming someone who lives between both festivals – I am very grateful to be invited.

On attending the first Open Book Festival in 2011:

The first Open Book, I came here like three or four years ago. It was quick – I stayed for only one day, so I didn’t get much time to experience the energy you have here. I was surprised today to have a conversation about James Baldwin in a sold out room, that was very weird – to discuss a writer who isn’t alive anymore and have the room full of readers – that’s great!

On his new book:

I’m promoting my new novel, which was released on August 20th, and it has been sold to Serpent’s Tail UK so it’s going to be released maybe in 2016 or 2017 over there. The title is Petit Piment (Little Pepper), I don’t know what title they’re going to use for the English translation, but in French that’s what it’s called. I’m doing the promotion for this book before writing something else.