The English translation of Matthieu Peck's third novel, in which he confirms his talent as a stylist.
The protagonist of Peck's novel is the young journalist Martin Reger, who leaves Paris for the Brazilian state of Bahia , where he is to write a report on the painter Pol Taburet. In the streets of the coastal city Salvador and in the studio where they spend their nights, the two men forge an intense friendship. The protagonist wanders through a world unknown to him, from churches, markets, and obscure corners of the city, to the jungle, where he and the painter go to meet a spirit priest. Reger's humour, precise sense of observation and louche attitude make for an invigorating travel journal, with piercing yet intimate evocation of Bahia's effervescence as much as its dark side. The author deciphers Taburet's pictorial practice with the erudition of a writer rather than art critic offering a fresh perspective on the essence of painting. With Descent to Bahia, Matthieu Peck confirms his talent as one of the eminent prose stylists of his generation. The novel is a subtle sketch of a man who, through art and camaraderie, comes back to life.
Matthieu Peck (born 1989 in Drancy, France) is a writer acclaimed for his original and uncompromising language, which distinctively blends references to seventeenth-century moralists with contemporary poetry, forging a unique voice in modern French literature. Both his debut novel Déjà les mouches (2023) and its successor, Descente à Bahia (2025), were published by Éditions Gallimard, quickly establishing his reputation. Peck's thematic explorations often delve into underground subcultures and societal margins, examining the complexities of human experience from unconventional perspectives. His work is consistently hailed within France for its profound originality, stylistic innovation, and fearless engagement with challenging subjects, marking him as one of France's most significant contemporary prose stylists.
