Dear readers,

I am very happy to share with you the publication of a book I am honored to be part of: The Penguin Book of the International Short Story, an anthology bringing together writers from around the world.

In this collection, you will discover my short story “La vache du roi Musinga” (Cattle Praise Song in English). This text is especially dear to me. It continues the work of memory and transmission that has shaped my writing since my earliest books: telling, through stories, the richness of Rwandan traditions and the narratives that live within me.

It is deeply moving for me to see this story alongside those of authors I greatly admire, such as Haruki Murakami, Han Kang, Salman Rushdie, Olga Tokarczuk, and Ted Chiang.

This anthology, edited by Rabih Alameddine and John Freeman, beautifully illustrates what literature can achieve: bringing together voices, languages, and imaginations across borders.

Through “La vache du roi Musinga”, I wanted to share with you a part of this Rwandan heritage, where the cow is not merely an animal, but a symbol of life, connection, and dignity. I hope this story will resonate with you.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to announce that the collection from which “La vache du roi Musinga” is drawn will be published in the United States in 2026 under the title Murmurs from the Hills, by Archipelago Books.

Thank you for continuing to read me, to follow my work, and to keep these stories alive with me.

With my deepest gratitude,
Scholastique Mukasonga