Sylvie Kandé is a critically acclaimed French-Senegalese poet and scholar who founded the program of Francophone Studies at New York University. She currently serves as a professor in the History & Philosophy department at SUNY Old Westbury, where she recently was a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities. Her three critically acclaimed poetry collections have all been published by Gallimard, one of the most prestigious publishers in France. Gestuaire (2016) the book from which this translation was drawn, was a recipient of the 2017 Prix Louise Labé and will be appearing in Nancy Naomi Carlson’s translation as Gestuary (Seagull Books, 2026).