Toulouse Noir

BRAND-NEW STORIES BY: Al Baylac, Maïté Bernard, Tanella Boni, Manu Causse, Gaspard Chauvelot, Pascal Dessaint, Francis Émourgeon, Sarah Grall, Adeline Grand-Clément, Nicolas Rouillé, Hafid Saïdi, and Benoît Séverac. All stories translated from French by David and Nicole Ball.

From the Introduction by Charles-Henri Lavielle:
"If these stories are rooted in cities--Toulouse in this case--even reduced to their specificity, they also speak to our common humanity. 'Nothing human is foreign to me, ' French anthropologist Alban Bensa said repeatedly. And that's probably enough of a reason to read this collection, even if you've never set foot here . . . Bensa also advocated for the necessity of always returning to the terrain to observe and listen. Describing before writing is the only way to give a credible account . . . That ability to observe is what guided my choice of authors for this collection. I tried to bring together a variety of people, of various ages, backgrounds, genders, with different life experiences, who all have a strong connection to Toulouse and to writing--in an attempt to attach the atmosphere of the city to your future steps. And if you never come, to make you feel what you would have found here."

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Akashic Books, Ltd.
Published: 08/04/2026
ISBN: 9781636141978
Pages: 288

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 05/01/2026