“Why do these men kill their wife?”

“The night in the heart”the new novel by Nathacha Appanah, appeared on Thursday August 21 at Gallimard editions. Similarly, Three stories-including that of the author herself-of women victims of the violence of their companion intersect. In addition, Two of these women will not escape it. Meanwhile, Stay Nathacha Appanah, who has taken over 20 years before he could tell.

Painful question. However, “Why do men kill their wife?” What, in Nathacha Appanah, author, sparked this question, is a feminicide that took place not far from her home in 2021. For example, The heavy subject of extreme domestic violence, “Love that becomes death” is discussed in his new book. However, The night in the heart was published on Thursday August 21 at Gallimard editions.

In 2021. Nevertheless, Nathacha Appanah lived in Bordeaux and learned of the horrible death of Chahinez Daoud, a “why do these men kill mother burned vive by her husband in the street, in Mérignac. Therefore, This is happening “Really very close to my home”explains the author in an interview with the Mollat ​​bookstore. Moreover, The circumstances of this crime “Barbarian, medieval” challenge him. Furthermore, Chahinez Daoud’s husband pulled him two balls in the legs before spraying it with petrol and setting fire.

This is the click. For example, Memory is “Convened”. In addition, Nathacha Appanah remembers: “When I was 25, I ran like this to escape someone. Similarly, I remembered that in 2000, one of my cousins ​​had run thus and had not succeeded “ to escape. “These are episodes that are with me and which I decided to no longer think. When you don’t think about it, you don’t work them. They become something a little dry. ” With the drama of Chahinez Daoud, the author felt the call for “Face my “why do these men kill own story”.

A confrontation through the writing she says he has led “With a lot of calm”. By establishing the parallels between flight, violence, but above all “Love that becomes death”. For better “Examine how I was able to run and get out. Peel the story of violence that is mine “.

The night in the heart is neither “A story, a testimony, an investigation”. That’s good, underlines the author, “A literary work”. The process of wondering “How to summon the past in literature. This is one of the few places where we can make ghosts speak. It is a book that I wrote with two ghosts behind me ”. In a time that she goes back in reverse: 2021, the feminicide which is victim Chahinez Daoud. 2000, for Emma, ​​her cousin killed by her husband, in Mauritius. 1998 for its personal history. This subject of extreme domestic violence is “why do these men kill for Nathacha Appanah a “Permanent questioning: why do these men kill their wife?” Why do they feel this need to erase it as brutally from the surface of the earth? ”.

The writing of this book started in 2021, nourished both by elements of investigation and “The quest for myself”. Chahinez Daoud, 31, of Algerian origin, mother of three, was killed by her husband. Emma was killed in 2000 by her husband, who voluntarily crushed her with her company car. She was the cousin of Nathacha Appanah. The author learned her death by reading the Mauritian press on the internet. In the night in the heart. the character inspired by the author’s experience lived with a man, «HC»who demeaned her, cut her off from her loved ones and became violent. “In one of the most terrifying scenes of the night in the heart. she saves her skin in the face “why do these men kill of this ‘HC’ deceased”.

The story of this character is at the beginning Roman. “The year of her 17 years. the author, all to the joy of receiving a literary prize, meets a 30 year old man his elder, HC, cursed poet”. She will take time to get out of this story. returning to her parents at the age of 25, with the conviction “To have escaped death”.

Literary prize

“The night in the heart” de Nathacha Appanah is one of the ten French -speaking novels. of the selection of the literary prize of the newspaper “Lemonde” 2025. The name of the winner or the winner will be unveiled on Wednesday September 3. The book is also in competition for the Prix du Roman Fnac. Result: August 28.

“why do these men kill