Ryad Assani Razaki Publishes Second Novel 'Les Maîtres du sol' on 15th-Century Africa

Beninese writer Ryad Assani Razaki has released his second novel, Les Maîtres du sol, published by Éditions Liana Levi. The book appeared on 17 September 2026 and was presented during an interview with Nathalie Amar on RFI. Set in 15th-century Africa amid upheaval, the historical fresco explores the disruptions caused by the arrival of European colonizers. Its narrative moves between conquest, land possession and the exploitation of resources, and also addresses the clash between ancestral beliefs and new religions. The work is described as a powerful, captivating and deeply contemporary account. The same RFI program included a Café Polar segment in which Catherine Fruchon-Toussaint met Jean-Yves Le Naour to discuss L'affaire Markovic (Le nouveau monde), a book revisiting one of the most scandalous cold cases of the Fifth Republic: the 1968 assassination of Stevan Marković, Alain Delon's handyman, which shook the Élysée and disrupted the election of Georges Pompidou. The day's playlist featured Roger Damawuzan et Les As Du Benin with 'Baba na ayele' and Mari Froes with 'Rio Lua'.