Gaëlle Bélem, a Réunion-born novelist with a style as incisive as it is vibrant, is today placing Indian Ocean literature in an unprecedented international dynamic. Her novel “Sud sauvage” was recently shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, one of the world's most prestigious literary awards for works translated into English. A first for a Réunion Island author – and a true cultural event.
An acclaimed Reunion Island pen
Born in Saint-Benoît, Gaëlle Bélem made a name for herself in 2020 with her first novel The rarest fruit, already praised for its narrative power and irreverent tone. With “Sud sauvage”, published by Gallimard in 2023, she delivers a flamboyant and social fresco, anchored in the deep South of Reunion.
Between dark humor, sensuality and social criticism, she gives body to a female character in search of freedom, on an island where social hierarchies, the weight of religion, and memories of colonialism create a setting as enchanting as it is stifling. The critics were not mistaken: Libération hailed an author with a "diabolical" pen, mixing maloya, sarcasm and literary audacity.
A French-speaking voice in the upper echelons of world literature
The selection of “Sud sauvage” for the 2025 International Booker Prize is a rare recognition for an author from overseas. Translated into English by Sarah Ardizzone, the international version of the novel allows a wider readership to discover a literary meeting that has remained on the margins of the global circuit for too long.
This visibility is also the result of a growing enthusiasm for overseas literature, largely driven by readers, social networks and the French-language cultural press.
An inspiring figure for a new generation
In her interviews, Gaëlle Bélem embraces her deep attachment to Reunion Island, but also her desire to break the clichés that freeze overseas cultures in outdated representations. She advocates for an island literature that is uninhibited, contemporary, funny, but always political.
With her, a whole new generation of Réunion authors sees the doors open, carried by a curious readership, more attentive publishing houses, and a press that is finally listening.
Gaëlle Bélem isn't just up for a literary prize. She embodies a shift. A shift in the face of Réunion literature, which is no longer waiting to be invited to the table: she's taking her place with talent, humor, and panache.
