Code Noir by Canisia Lubrin

Canisia Lubrin's debut fiction is that rare work of art a brilliant, startlingly original book that combines immense literary and political force. Its structure is deceptively simple: it departs from the infamous real-life "Code Noir," a set of historical decrees originally passed in 1685 by King Louis XIV of France defining the conditions of slavery in the French colonial empire.The original Code had fifty-nine articles;Code Noirhas fifty-nine linked fictions vivid, unforgettable, multi-layered fragments filled with globe-wise characters who desire to live beyond the ruins of the past.

Ranging in style from contemporary realism to dystopia, from futuristic fantasy to historical fiction, this inventive, shape-shifting braid of stories exists far beyond the enclosures of official decrees. This is a timely, daring, virtuosic book by a young literary star. The stories are accompanied by black-and-white drawings one at the start of each fiction by acclaimed visual artist Torkwase Dyson. (FromKnopf Canada)

• Canisia Lubrin focused on the self to speak her universal truths in her latest poetry collection

Canisia Lubrinis a writer, editor and teacher. Her debut poetry collectionVoodoo Hypothesiswas longlisted for the Gerald Lambert Award, the Pat Lowther Award and was a finalist for the Raymond Souster Award.Her poetry collectionThe Dyzgraphxst,won the2021 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. It wonthe 2021 Griffin Poetry Prizeand wasa finalistfor the 2020 Governor General's Literary Prize for poetry.

Interviews with Canisia Lubrin

The Next Chapter11:09Canisia Lubrin on The Dyzgraphxst

Rising Canadian literary star Canisia Lubrin talks about her new poetry collection The Dyzgraphxst.

This poem by Canisia Lubrin confronts our failure to protect the elderly early in the pandemic

3 years ago

Duration 4:02

Poets unflinchingly face the world in its complexity in Poetry on the Mainstage, part of the Frankfurt Book Fair where Canada is featured as the Guest of Honour.