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René Depestre, a life of Literature and Commitment

René Depestre had his very first encounter with the Haitian sun on August 29, 1926 in Jacmel, a large coastal city in the southeast of Haïti that welcomed his birth. He completed his primary studies with the Brothers of Christian Instruction in Jacmel. After his father’s death in 1936, he left his mother and brothers and sisters to live with his maternal grandmother. He completed his secondary studies at the Alexandre Pétion high school in Port-au-Prince in 1944. Today, he resides in France, his country of naturalization for several decades, and remains an immense creative, intellectual spirit and great witness to a very important era in the history of men.

Anténor Firmin, the genius of the 19th century Haitian

Joseph-Auguste Anténor Firmin was born on October 28, 1850 in Cap-Haïtien, in a Haïti recently emancipated from the colonial yoke, he died on September 19, 1911 at the age of 60 in exile. He is undoubtedly one of the most emblematic intellectual figures of his time. His life, marked by an exceptional career in the political, literary and diplomatic fields, illustrates the genius of a Haitian intellectual whose contributions have left an indelible mark on history.

LESPWA: When writing becomes a light for Haitian youth

In a country where daily difficulties can often seem insurmountable, Haitian youth need sources of inspiration to move forward. The LESPWA writing contest, initiated by Oriol ANTOINE, photographer and cultural activist, offers young people a unique opportunity to express themselves through words and share a message of encouragement and resilience.

The Port-au-Prince Book Fair announces the opening of author registration for its second edition

The Port-au-Prince Book Fair is a literary initiative of the cultural organization Port-au-Prince Book Fair (OCSLP), based on the desire to promote Haitian culture in general, with a particular focus on literature. The organizers of the event have just announced the registration of authors, who will number 20, and those of publishing houses, who will number 5 for the second edition, which will take place on Friday, December 13, 2024, in the premises of the French Institute in Haiti. The registration deadline is Thursday, October 10 of this year. Please note that the first to arrive who have met the required criteria will be eligible to take part in this second edition of the event, according to the organizers’ admission. This rigorous and restricted selection of only 20 authors aims to guarantee an enriching experience for authors and the public, thus promoting authentic exchanges around the works presented. Independent authors and publishing houses interested in registering their authors to participate in this second edition of the fair are invited to submit their application via this link: https://form.jotform.com/louirardjohn8/salon-du-livre-de-port-au-prince. For publishing and distribution houses planning to exhibit on the day of the event, you can register by clicking on this link: https://form.jotform.com/242596699603068. You are requested to contact them at the following address: salondulivre2023@gmail.com in case of difficulties. The Port-au-Prince Book Fair remains faithful to its philosophy, which is to offer a platform to young authors and to promote the richness of Haitian literary production, by supporting new authors who contribute to its growth. This event is a continuation of the first edition, aimed at allowing the emergence of an environment conducive to exchanges, where young authors can meet, share their experiences and engage in dialogue with readers and book professionals. According to the organizers of the event, your participation as a young author will be essential to enrich the fair and offer a diverse experience to visitors. The invitation to join this noble initiative is extended to young authors who have not yet published 5 books. You who are concerned, the ball is now in your court. Do not hesitate to go and make this day, December 13, 2024, an unforgettable day for all book lovers.

The KOJES Jèn Soley Festival: A Place for Cultural Exchange and Encounters

KOJES is a non-profit youth association founded in November 2020 in Cité Soleil, the largest slum in Haïti and the Caribbean. From its inception, KOJES has been committed to promoting education, culture, and training through various initiatives. One of its flagship projects is a space for social and cultural debate that has allowed many young people to meet and discuss social issues. Although the clashes that resumed in Cité Soleil in September 2022 temporarily halted this section, KOJES was able to recover by launching the KOJES letter-writing competition, aimed at reestablishing this precious connection between young people through literature. Today, the association is embarking on a new challenge with the Jèn Soley Festival, which will take place from September 20 to 22, 2025, under the evocative theme: "Saying to Exist." Among the guests participating in this festival are the renowned Lyonel Trouillot, the talented poet Carl Henry Burrin, the young slam poet Pacôme Emmanuel, the novelist Louis Bernard Henry, the poet Inima Jeudi, and the young poet Adlyne Bonhomme.

Letter to My Favorite Author: An Initiative by CSimon Publishing and the Port-au-Prince Book Fair

The "Letter to My Favorite Author" contest is a joint initiative by CSmon Publishing, a publishing house based in Virginia, USA, and the Port-au-Prince Book Fair. The contest aims to create a platform where young literature enthusiasts can express their affection and admiration for the authors who have impacted their lives through a letter dedicated to them. This letter can be written in Haitian Creole or French by any young person aged 18 to 30 living in Haiti. The author to whom the letter is addressed can be Haitian or foreign, and even from the medieval period. The contest began on January 27, with registration closing on that date, and will continue until April 15, when the prizes will be awarded. The awards, which are 75,000 gourdes for the winner, 50,000 gourdes for the second place, and 25,000 gourdes for third place, will be presented during the event "Living in Prose and Poetry," organized annually by the Port-au-Prince Book Fair, to be held in 2025 at the French Institute in Haiti.

Frankétienne, the Nobel Prize Winner

Frankétienne is the stage name of the man who officially bore the name Jean-Pierre Basilic Dantor. He was born in the Artibonite department of Haïti on April 12, 1936. His father, who did not recognize him at birth, was, according to his own account, an American industrialist who had come to do business in Haiti, and his mother was an Artibonite farmer. This makes Frank a similar case to the great Jamaican artist Bob Marley, who had a typical story, in addition to the fact that both men made their country known abroad and left their mark on their land from within through their art. Frank died on Thursday, February 20, 2025, in Delmas, his home town for decades. He was about to celebrate his 89th birthday.

Pity or the work of an old soul crushed under the weight of an absinthe-flavored existence

The word crisis carries an infinite number of meanings. No intention of revealing them all this afternoon. However, a few clarifications are necessary. A kid whose parents do not have enough money at Christmas to buy her a Little Black Mermaid doll has a fit and locks herself in her room without touching her meals for the day. A boy whose dog was suddenly poisoned by a neighbor in revenge or shot after contracting rabies, losing a faithful friend overnight, enters into crisis. Finally, a society in the grip of all sorts of mutations and whose leaders are weak, perhaps prolonged in a deep crisis. In the first case, the young girl sulks to attract the attention of her parents in order to feel appreciated by children her age at school or in the neighborhood. Today, thirty minutes of negotiations can be enough to find a lasting solution. In my day, a few well-aimed belt blows would have overcome this whim. But, humanity evolves, they say. In the second case, this boy can find his smile again after a few weeks. He needs a little attention and, probably, another dog. As Stendhal would say, only passion triumphs over passion. In the last case, this society led by inepts is shaken to its deep foundations. Its institutions can disintegrate one by one. The vital forces dissolve in no time. This situation creates a societal tsunami that destroys all life within this community. It is indeed a crisis. The crisis from this point of view constitutes an alarming, desperate situation in the existence of a community where nothing is going well. Chaos reigns supreme. The very essence of life disappears. The individual can take precedence over the community. Everyone tries to solve their problems without worrying about others. The closest neighbor is relegated light years away from you. How can we turn to creation? How can we continue to conceive of otherness? How can the artist absorb this great collective disarray as a source of motivation? These are the questions I must answer. An artist sees and feels what ordinary mortals cannot even imagine in a thousand-year life. He creates to denounce, when his conscience as a human being is revolted. He exalts heroes or the homeland according to his feelings. He sings the beauty of an irresistible, captivating or ugly resplendent woman. He can also use the ambient desolation to give meaning to life. Creating in literature as in the arts in general does not depend on the situation. The act of creation depends on the creator’s disposition. Events paralyze some and galvanize others. Creating is enjoyable. Everyone therefore enjoys according to their own whim. Writing opens the way to change. The writer takes a different look at the world. By embedding himself in reality, he embellishes it, makes it better or hideous depending on the message he intends to share. All things considered, with him, life is never fixed. Writing is putting the world in a jar to travel the universe. The artist broods over his work in all weathers. Oswald Durand was delighted to see Choucoune’s beautiful body from his secret observatory. Musset, on the other hand, was in pain writing his October night. As for Dany Laferrière, in exile, he described the horrors of the Duvalier dictatorship and the carefree attitude of the young girls in his neighborhood in this violent and dangerous world. Ultimately, the writer lives in a society with values ​​that he shares or not. They condition his existence or have no hold on him. In many ways, the surrounding world serves as his laboratory. He carries out his experiments there. He casts a new, worn, disillusioned, melancholic, violent, bitter look at the world depending on his mood. Pitié is the work of an old soul crushed under the weight of an existence that tastes of absinthe. Young Mike Bernard Michel lives by expedients and lies. The hands of life fall on him with indescribable violence. Misfortune embraces him day and night. Should we give up? Musset liked to say: "Man is an apprentice, pain is his master. And no one knows himself until he has suffered." The artist must produce under all skies. Such is his vocation. Incompetents in power, legal or highway bandits, the high cost of living, unemployment, heartaches are all subjects of concern for him. If it is true that a hungry belly has no ears, the fact remains that it keeps the brain awake. What am I saying, it stimulates it to the point of creating timeless works. Mr. Pitié, you have a bright future ahead of you. Work of Jean Rony Charles, the book is available from Éditions Repérage.

With the CLPGACH, the commune of Ganthier triumphs over obscurantism and the dictatorship of ambient ignorance

Following the assault, and the hubs of the displaced on the night of July 21, 2024 in Ganthier; This Sunday, October 06, 2024, it was a gigantic crowd that swept through Saint Jean Marie Vianney, with cries, chant "Ann li pou n Chanje Gantye". They crisscrossed several corners of the establishment and danced the Jolivettes, at the height of the rooms in order to demonstrate their contents. Well planted decor, wooded walls, in the presence of many professionals and notaries; The initiative organized by the literary and philosophical club of Galette-Chambon (CLPGACH) brought together several hundred people who had come to encourage young warriors and overheated them at battle. We did not expect that in the midst of a chronic crisis, multifaceted that such a struggle would have triggered. This is the second time, reading was right in Ganthier. Thanks to the CLPGACH, the new warriors- readers won the great victory, at the right time, where the Gantiens.Ses hoped at all costs a liberation from the town.