Marie NDiaye

About

Marie NDiaye is a French novelist and playwright known for her psychologically complex fiction, blending realism with surrealism, fairy-tale elements, and the uncanny. Born in Pithiviers, France, in 1967 to a French mother and a Senegalese father, she began writing at a young age and published her first novel, Quant au riche avenir, at just 18. Her work frequently explores identity, family relationships, alienation, social exclusion, and the unsettling dynamics of power. Her acclaimed novel Three Strong Women (Trois femmes puissantes, 2009) won the Prix Goncourt, one of France’s most prestigious literary awards. Other notable works include Rosie Carpe and My Heart Hemmed In. Through her enigmatic narratives and distinctive prose, NDiaye examines the fragility of belonging and the hidden tensions beneath ordinary life, establishing herself as a major voice in contemporary French literature.

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The Witch

In The Witch, Marie NDiaye tells the story of Lucie, a woman who discovers that she possesses magical powers inherited from her mother. Living in a seemingly ordinary French suburb, Lucie struggles to pass her knowledge of witchcraft on to her twin daughters while navigating an unhappy marriage and an increasingly unstable family life. As her daughters begin to develop their own powers and assert their independence, Lucie’s sense of control over her family and identity begins to unravel. Blending dark humor, psychological tension, and elements of the supernatural, NDiaye explores motherhood, female power, and the complexities of family relationships. The novel offers a subtle, unsettling examination of the desire to control others and the difficulty of understanding those closest to us.

2026 France