Under the patronage of the International Organization of la Francophonie and UNESCO, in collaboration with the Universities Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3, Nice-Sophia Antipolis, of Limoges, ITEM-CNRS and the DRAC (Regional Direction of Cultural Affairs) of Limousin, the city of Limoges (France), will host from 14 to 16 May 2014 at the Francophone Multimedia Library (BFM) the poet and Haitian writer René Depestre for a international colloquium, which will be devoted exclusively to him, which will bring together academics from France, Spain, Ireland, England and the United States.

This colloquium organized by the city of Limoges aims to trace the path of René Depestre and explore all aspects of its abundant and varied work. Critics and academics work on René Depestre are many though scattered. His work, translated into many languages​​, has repeatedly distinguished (it receives particular, in 1998, the Grand Prix of the French Academy).

Although this event is particularly aimed at specialists and academics, three meetings for the general public (Free admission) will be organized every day at 7 p.m.

in the conference room of the Library: Roundtable "René Depestre and young generation of Haitian writers" with Haitian authors Yanick Lahens, Louis-Philippe Dalembert and James Noël, screening of the documentary-movie "René Depestre Chronicle of a marine animal" by Patrick Cazals, and finally a great interview with René Depestre and Serge Bourjea, professor at the University of Montpellier 3, on "Jorge Amado, a story of friendship" [Location BFM 2 Place Aimé Césaire, 87000 Limoges, Phone. +33 5 55 45 96 00].

Learn more about René Depestre :

Haitian poet and writer born in 1926 in Jacmel, René Depestre published his first poems in 1945 in the book "Étincelles". Engaged in the political life of his country, he is imprisoned and must go into exile in France, then in Cuba. He held for nearly twenty years important functions alongside Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. He continues to write and publish poems including "Minerai noir" in 1956, in which he discusses the suffering and humiliation of slavery. In the 1970s, he fled Cuba, and moved to Paris where he worked many years for UNESCO. René Depestre continues his work as a writer-poet in Lézignan-Corbières where he settled in 1980. His novel "Hadriana dans tous mes rêve" (1988)

receives Renaudot Prize, the "Prix du roman de la Société des gens de lettres" and the "Prix du roman de l’Académie royale de langue et de littérature françaises de Belgique", while his book "Alleluia pour une femme-jardin" receives the Prix Goncourt in 1982 of the new. In April 2007, he won the Prix Robert Ganzoof poetry for his complete poetic works, "Rage de vivre" published at Seghers.

HL/ HaitiLibre