Why you should read Mohamed Mbougar Sarr
The Senegalese novelist is one of the boldest writers working today
What is in a name? Quite a lot, actually, for Mohamed Mbougar Sarr. The writer’s first name is a nod to the majority faith in Senegal, where he was born. His last name reveals that he comes from its third-biggest ethnic group, the Serer. His middle name means “unloved”. By Serer tradition, children often get tagged with ugly names as a trick to fool evil spirits.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Song of myself”
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