Night of Fire

At the age of twenty-eight, Schmitt undertook a trek on foot through the Sahara Desert. He set out as an atheist and returned ten days later a deeply devout man. Far from his familiar surroundings, the writer and playwright discovered a simple way of life and formed friendships with the Tuareg people. And then he got lost on the vast expanses of the Ahaggar. For thirty hours he had nothing to eat or drink; he did not know where he was or whether anyone would find him. And a night spent under the stars opened up a new spiritual path for him. It changed him forever. But what happened that night? What did he hear? What made such a sharp and indelible impression on this agnostic philosopher?

In his new book Night of Fire, the writer recounts both the adventure-filled journey and the voyage into the depths of his own self. For the first time, É.-E. Schmitt opens up his inner world to us, showing how a life and worldview that seemed firmly established can change in an instant.