Saint-Barthélemy
Even though he was born in Guadeloupe, it is impossible to discuss the literature of Saint-Barthélemy, and the West Indies in general, without mentioning the work of Saint-John Perse (1887-1975). Forced to leave his native island for Metropolitan France as a teenager, the poet - who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1960 - felt a deep sense of heartbreak, and it is all the reminiscences of his childhood and glorious past that he brings back to life in the Antillean Cycle, a veritable ode to this "tropical Eden. The work is composed of the collection of poems Éloges (1904-1910) and the collection La gloire du roi (1948). As difficult as his poetry is to access, it is a subtle praise to his creolity transpiring with sensations. Think also of Derek Walcott (1930-2017) who also received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992. This writer and poet wrote, among others, an adaptation of theIliad in the Caribbean: Omeros. In his work, he will never stop transcribing the Caribbean culture. Among his collections of poetry translated into French, we can mention Une autre vie (1973); Le Royaume du fruit-étoile (1979); Heureux le voyageur (1981). And some plays: Ti-Jean et ses frères (1958); Rêve sur la montagne au singe
(1967). As for Aimé Césaire (1913-2008), he is one of the great figures of the movement of negritude. Arrived in Paris where he followed brilliant studies, he founded a magazine called The Black Student. Anger, revolt, quest for identity transcend his poetry. In 1939, which marked his return to Martinique, he published Cahier d'un retour au pays natal, considered his greatest work. In his native land, he created the Progressive Party of Martinique (PPM), became mayor and then deputy. We also owe him a speech on colonialism, published in 1950, but also various plays such as Et les chiens se taisaient (1958), La Tragédie du roi Christophe (1963), Une saison au Congo (1966) and Une Tempête (1969).Saint-Martin
From French to English, through Dutch, Spanish, Creole or Papiamento, the literature of St. Martin is written in several languages. The authors, who are part of the Caribbean literary tradition, each in their own way seek to create their own identity. One example is Robert Romney. Born in Saint-Martin, he was in turn a professor of English, a school inspector, a representative of the rector of Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy, and was named Honorary Inspector of the Academy, Knight of the National Order of Merit and Officer of the Academic Palms. He is the author of several books: Saint Martin Talk, which is a kind of dictionary of expressions and vocabulary spoken on the island, From Saint Martin Talk to Standard English and Saint Martin de Tours . Robert Romney is also the author of a biography on a Dutch priest, Reverend Father Verstappen , and a novel in English, Big Rock, The King of the Rock . In this book, he evokes an idyllic life of teenagers in a society without violence. He also highlights the language of his beloved island. Other St. Martin authors include Laurelle Richards and her The Frock & Other Poems and Yvette Hyman with Yvette Kitchen to your table.
