Winner of the Prix Comar d’Or and the Prix des Cinq Continents
A 2021 World Literature Today Notable Translation
International Praise for The Ardent Swarm
“Yamen Manai…speaks with the accuracy of the scientist and at the same time the fire of a poet and the imagination of the novelist.” —Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, in interview with Patrick Simonin, TV5 Monde
“[The Ardent Swarm explores] the problems of contemporary Tunisia but [they are] approached in a very gentle, very subtle way, with a smile.” —Yvan Le Perec, France Bleu
“What a wonderful little book that is at once an enchantment, a hymn to nature, a warning about intolerance and the fundamentalism that threatens us, and also a great lesson in courage.” —Gérard Collard, La Griffe Noire
Praise for The Ardent Swarm
“Warmth, compassion, and humanity, with here-and-there touches of sarcasm and humor. A well-told tale showing that modernity isn’t always a blessing.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Masterly…The enormous talent on display here recommends a second reading to relish the author’s storytelling ability.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“Lyrical prose and layered insights…a vivid meditation on societal discord and harmony. This elegant allegory of globalization’s insidious nature finds rich drama in the tense, turbulent reckoning with questions of modernity versus tradition.” —Publishers Weekly
“A beautifully written novel that blends poetry with politics.” —Christian Science Monitor
“Manai delves into serious issues in this novel, but there’s also this humor, this passion, this humanity that buzzes around every page.” —Writer’s Bone
“Immersive descriptions of animal life…it’s clear that Manai spared no effort to depict bees in the most affectionate, lush, and well-researched terms possible…He leans into the obvious parallels between the inner workings of a bee colony and human power struggles in order to grapple with globalization, colonialism, and the possibilities of collective action. And he pulls it off without making the premise feel contrived, offering deep observations that you’d never know were really about bees.” —Outside Magazine
“The ruthless destruction of ecological habitats and the contagion of global transport are the darker shadows that make The Ardent Swarm as much a cautionary tale about environmental harm as an allegory for the death cults of fundamentalists. Manai’s first outing in English makes the reader want more.” —The Irish Times
“Seems simple, but it’s not simple at all…quite funny…a very compelling narrative of a society facing immense change…a hopeful novel…inspiring.” —CBC Radio
“[A] love song to bees…Manai may write in French and live in Paris, but his books capture a Tunisian oral culture…This one reads as both a lyrical folk tale and powerful indictment of political and religious opportunism.” —The Tablet
“Parable, allegory, oral tradition—call it what you will, The Ardent Swarm in its English translation is simply a beautiful story. The contrast between sociopolitical constructs and nature’s designs provides commentary but also creates an engaging sense of pathos. The partnership between Manai and Vergnaud is equally brilliant. Touching and memorable, this is a work not to be missed.” —The Tablet
“The Ardent Swarm reminded me of my time in Tunisia in the years that followed the Jasmine Revolution in 2011. Drawing on real events that took place in the country, the author constructs a revealing allegory about the opposing political forces at work then. For readers who want to know more about the Arab Spring, The Ardent Swarm is a perfect place to begin their journey.” —Jake Walles, Former U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia
10/05/2020
Manai’s vibrant English-language debut turns on rising political instability and religious populism in Sidi Bou, a fictional country that closely resembles Tunisia after the Arab Spring. In the village of Nawa, ascetic beekeeper Sidi wakes to find colonies of his beloved “girls” destroyed by hornets. Meanwhile, the nation’s first “truly” democratic elections are imminent and fundamentalist benefactors hailing from the Party of God have descended upon Nawa to ply the villagers with food and clothes in a bid to win their votes. As increasingly radical fundamentalist Islam infiltrates the once peaceful village, Sidi discovers the Party of God members were behind the death of his bees. Determined to learn how to protect his bees, Sidi leaves them in the care of sympathetic neighbors to visit the capital, where he can find books to help him battle the hornets. Though the parallels are occasionally heavy-handed, such as a bee-ravaging parasite as metaphor for colonial invasion, lyrical prose and layered insights transform what might have been a predictable fable into a vivid meditation on societal discord and harmony. This elegant allegory of globalization’s insidious nature finds rich drama in the tense, turbulent reckoning with questions of modernity versus tradition. Agent: Pierre Astier, Astier-Pécher Film & Literary. (Jan.)
★ 02/01/2021
In this masterly novel, a small fundamentalist group arising after the Arab Spring commits atrocities in the name of God just as giant "murder" hornets kill the bees that are so necessary for crop fertilization and the production of honey. Beekeeper Sidi lives in the small, underdeveloped village of Nawa in Tunisia and is alarmed at the killing power of these giant hornets, new to his area. (The title comes from the way Japanese bees defend against these hornets by encircling a "scout" hornet, vibrating their wings to create an intense heat the hornet cannot endure.) As Sidi seeks protection from the hornets, Manai illustrates how the lives of the villagers are "managed" in a similar way by the extremist religious forces they endure. It's an excellent comparison. VERDICT Winner of the prestigious Prix de la Francophonie, Tunisian-born, Paris-based Manai's first book to be translated into English is a fascinating account of parallel conflicts between bees and hornets and between villagers and fanatics. The enormous talent on display here recommends a second reading to relish the author's storytelling ability.—Lisa Rohrbaugh, Leetonia Community P.L., OH
★ 2020-11-18
Past and present clash in North Africa in this surprising parable of a man and his bees by Tunisian author Manai, his first to be translated into English.
In the tiny kingdom of Qafar, Sidi is a humble beekeeper who lives alone and cares only for his bees and their lovely honey. One day, he checks his hives and finds “countless mutilated bodies” ripped apart by a mysterious evil force. All of the nearby village of Nawa is outraged, because they know of his devotion to what he calls his "girls." Meanwhile, he knows little about the forces that are changing Qafar forever. Once a land of roaming Bedouins, the country became ripe for exploitation after the discovery of natural gas underneath its sands. Qafari elders said the age-old custom of sitting on the sand and the locals’ propensity to fart were responsible for the country’s rich supply of underground natural gas. The country fell under decades of dictatorship until Qafaris recently rose up and opted for democracy. Great, thinks the cynical narrator. “What was easier to hijack than democracy?” An electoral caravan wows people in villages like Nawa, and victory goes to the Party of God. With help from friends, Sidi searches in the meantime for the source of the destruction of so many of his bees, and the answer he discovers becomes a useful tool when he encounters a group of murderers standing over their victims and shouting “War in the name of God!” Translated from the French, this short novel shows warmth, compassion, and humanity, with here-and-there touches of sarcasm and humor.
A well-told tale showing that modernity isn’t always a blessing.
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