Hemley Boum was born in Douala, Cameroon, and now lives in France. She is the award-winning author of several novels including Si d'aimer... (Prix Ivoire, 2013), Les Maquisards (Grand Prix Littéraire de l'Afrique Noire, 2015; Prix du livre engagé, 2016), and Les Jours viennent et passent (Prix Kourouma, 2020). Her writing explores family histories, political upheavals, colonial legacies, and the intimate consequences of global forces on everyday lives.