The poems and multifaceted novels of Makenzy Orcel (born 1983* in Port-au-Prince, Haiti) reflect the key characteristics of Haitian literature: a return to ancient traditions, to voices from the afterlife and to the mythologies of everyday life, the exploration of personal trauma, a penchant for poetry and oral literature, the constant rewriting of Haiti’s history and memories of violence, the tireless search for meaning, truth and beauty in the world, and the creolisation of the French language. With the novels *L’Ombre animal* (2016) and *Une somme humaine* (2022), the Haitian writer began a trilogy of the dead, the final part of which is yet to be published.
As part of the Matinée, students of Romance languages at the University of Graz will talk to the author about his series of novels, and about what it means to write about and observe the world from a Haitian perspective, even when one does not live in Haiti.
Presenters: Helene Ràth-Vègh, Sophie Thomaser
Interpreter: Alexandra Marics (French)
Organisers: Andrea Renker, Verena Richter
