Ananda Devi was born in Mauritius in 1957. The multicultural and multilingual aspects of her birthplace are echoed in many of her works, which explore with lyrical and probing language and imagery the depths of conflicted identities, with a particular focus on women and the consequences of nonconformity. One of the Indian Ocean's leading and most prolific writers, she has published poetry, three volumes of short stories and ten novels. Ève de ses décombres (2006) was awarded the Prix des Cinq Continents de la francophonie and the Prix RFO.