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On Wednesday November 12 2003, at 6.30 p.m.
: "Venice: from its founding to the Renaissance" Mr Claude FERRIER Venice: from its founding to the Renaissance. |
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Wednesday June 11 2003 : Marie-Christine
VANDOORNE and Andreï MAKINE Marie-Christine VANDOORNE's literary discussions With |
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Thursday April 2003 : Marie-Christine
VANDOORNE |
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Every year, the new literary season is governed by the granting of the Goncourt, Femina, Interallié, Renaudot awards, each one being a pretext for launching an author, for a joust between publishers, for commercial rivalries. What remains of the literary text? From Rouaud to Makine , from Le Clezio to Rufin to others who are sometimes called francophones, Marie-Christine Vandoorne follows some tracks on the path of the literary creation of these last years, in the shade of the big awards. Which writing stands out, which panorama imposes itself, which author emerges, what can we say about the literary production? Those are some of the questions that you and she can wonder about... With a diploma in Arts (classic literature), Marie-Christine Vandoorne has taught French literature and ancient Greek for many years before giving courses on communication within corporations at the new Sorbonne. In 1993, attracted by the possibility of teaching abroad, she first accepts a post as a university attaché in Holland, then that of General Delegate of the Alliance Française in Ireland. Nowadays she is General Delegate for France's committees of the Alliance Française in Paris. Marie-Christine Vandoorne has a passion for literature. She gives numerous lectures on various subjects and she regularly entertains writers in the course of eclectic soirées. Because of her intimate acquaintance with literary works… and their authors, she is their best spokesperson. |
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Mardi 4 Mars 2003 : Hubert CECCALDI - Monsieur Hubert CECCALDI |
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Mardi 4 février 2003 : Constant
VAUTRAVERS et Pierre SOETE "Marseille et l'eau : 2 600 ans d'histoires" - Constant VAUTRAVERS
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Thursday May 16, 2003 : Jean-Christophe
RUFIN and Marie-Christine VANDOORNE Jean-Christophe Rufin Born in 1952, an Intern in Paris, Jean-Christophe Rufin is one of the pioneers of the humanitarian movement " without borders " for which he led several missions, particularly in East Africa. A writer, we have to thank him for both his essays (L'aventure humanitaire, l'Empire et les nouveaux barbares) and his novels (L'Abyssin, Sauver Ispahan, Les causes perdues). In 1999, when invited to the "Amazing travellers" festival that was held in Dublin at the time his novel "les Causes perdues" which had been granted the Interallié award came out , he declared that as for him he considered travelling as an existential displacement and not just a geographic one, that is was a way of life and perhaps even an identity. From 91 to 93 he was the President of Doctors without Frontiers. As such he fulfilled missions in numerous countries, among which Ethiopia where he does always go back to: "there, the people have a sense of brotherhood, they are different, close, comparable to nothing". But open to other realities besides the only medical and humanitarian issue, he becomes interested in geopolitics. That's why we can find him at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques where he is research director… or at UNO mandated by the French Government to be in charge of operations to maintain peace from 1993 to 94. To what is already a double job, he adds a third one : that of
a writer. 1) The essay : 2) The Novel : Two types of inspiration should be noted : the historic inspiration and the present inspiration. In the "Causes Perdues" which takes place in Ethiopia,
in 1985, during the worst period of the great famine, we can follow
the destiny of two characters, most particularly Hilarion, an Armenian,
and Grégoire, a French man who belong to a humanitarian organism,
not in the logistic section, nor the medical one. But in this novel, J.C. Rufin includes other poles of reflection. Regarding the humanitarian action which is so popular and so profound, particularly for the youth, he became aware that it hadn't been converted into a novel. This is what he attempted to do: "building a bridge between literature and that type of experience". As for travelling, modern means of communication are such that
one is never totally separated from one's home…. But in the
XVII and XVII th centuries, travellers where living that experience
quite differently. The possibility of returning was next to nil
(theme developed in "Rouge Brésil"). Therefore
they really had to live almost naked, to wear other types of clothing,
to adopt other customs than theirs. Brief introduction of Rouge Brésil : A novel of adventure and initiation, which takes place in 1560, against a historical background. It tells the saga of two adolescents that are assumed to be brother
and sister: Juste and Colombe de Clamorgan, who were forced to embark
on a ship bound to what will be called the Bay of Rio, in order
to be used as future interpreters, mediators between members of
the expedition and the natives, the Indian tribes. (they were already
thought to have a superior ability to learn the basics of foreign
languages or dialects). It is also a love story, a historical, political and religious novel, on a background of bitter fights between Catholics and Protestants, fights which will soon tear Europe and most particularly France apart. Two religions are confronted to each other, even three as the local
beliefs are hinted at, but also two conceptions of man and two visions
of nature. |
"The
progression of Andreï Makine's work is quite interesting to
observe. Makine belongs to this rare family of writers able to compose
a piece of work in a language other than theirs - a giddy adventure.
The great predecessors - Conrad, Nabokov, Biancotti - are intimidating.
Let us not mistake those who would be capable of successfully carrying
the adventure through with those who are risking it: the exploit
implies that there is a subtle relation between who the writer is
and who he'd like to be. Look at Makine: unclassifiable. First he
publishes texts that are "translated from Russian": failure.
He throws himself into the French language, which he became familiar
with through complicated circumstances, struggles, bobs up and it's
the adventure of "Testament français": Goncourt
award, Medicis award, high-school students'Goncourt. Miracle. But
Makine refuses to enter the literary strategy and comedy.. He remains
in his cramped quarters and does not fight an accent à la
Dourakine. He somewhat considers himself as being outside of the
competition. He could very well become one of our "good Russians":
the French have always loved Tchekhov, Tourgueniev, the accent,
the isba, the nostalgic effusiveness. We can see which notch Makine
could occupy". 
"The
contemporary French novel behind the scenes of the literary awards"
présentée
par :