Ernest Pépin
Novelist and poet Ernest Pépin is one of the key figures of the Creole movement. Born in Guadeloupe in 1950 and a former lecturer in literature, Pépin has published several works in French and in Creole. His work has been awarded the Caraïbes Prize (1994), the RFO Book Prize (1997) and the Arc-en-ciel Prize (1999). He received the Casa de los Americas Prize in 1990 for his novel Boucans de mots libres, and has drawn his inspiration from local musical traditions. In his book Salve et salive, he pays homage to Velo, a famous percussionist. He has also drawn his inspiration from magical-religious beliefs and relationships between men and women, as can be seen in Le Tango de la haine. A man of letters and a politician, he is presently Chargé des Affaires culturelles at the General Council Office in Guadeloupe, where he lives. Ernest Pépin's style is marked by the uproar of the sea and tormented by the hurricanes of the islands. The French he uses in his writings sounds like a Creole rhythm and denounces the historical misunderstandings between Africa and the West Indies, with the intention to have them reconciled into an Afro-West Indian literature.
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Archive available for: Ernest Pépin
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Live Anthology: taboos of love and literature
With: Antjie Krog, Ayu Utami, Basil Appollis, Ernest Pépin, Fouad Laroui, Frank Martinus Arion, Gerrit Komrij, Manon Uphoff, Michaël Zeeman, Pauline Melville
'These are the same people who used to think that anything goes and everything should be allowed. Now they want to prohibit everything which they suspect might bring enjoyment to someone else' (Gerrit Komrij).
Maybe 'taboo' is the most culturally specific notion possible. In the Netherlands, taboos in love or literature seem out of date since the 1960s. But in South Africa, a novel about homosexuality comes as a shock, and a South African makes internationally controversial movies about power, love and violence. Cultures collide when talking about taboos, so this should be a great starting point for a discussion with a collection of internationally renowned authors. This afternoon, eight writers read their favorite fragments from world literature with the theme of the taboo. In the ensuing conversation, the boundaries of culture and religion become apparent. Dutch/English spoken. -
Hidden Hostility
A monument to remember slavery is an important and sensitive subject matter at the moment, especially for the different (ex-) colonial territories the Caribian. Frank Martinus Arion (Curaçao) is an important spokesman in this matter. With Pauline Melville (born in former British Guyana), author of The Ventriloquist's Tale and Ernest Pépin, from the French colony Guadeloupe, he discussed hidden hostility and the consequences of interfering with tradition. English and French spoken.
