Overview:
The thirty second version of Livres en Folie, organized by Le Nouvelliste, drew a whole bunch of readers, authors and e-book lovers to the El Rancho Lodge in Pétion-Ville on June 4. This yr’s occasion paid tribute to famend Haitian poet and novelist René Depestre, whose work has formed Haitian and Francophone literature for greater than seven many years. That includes greater than 1,100 books by 114 Haitian authors, the occasion highlighted a variety of works, from historical past and essays to novels, poetry, financial evaluation, and faculty textbooks.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — The thirty second version of Livres en Folie paid tribute this yr to famend Haitian author René Depestre whereas drawing a whole bunch of readers, authors and households to Haiti’s largest annual celebration of books and literature.
The e-book competition was held on June 4 on the El Rancho Lodge in Pétion-Ville, and introduced collectively 114 Haitian authors and featured greater than 1,100 titles spanning historical past, novels, poetry, essays, economics, social research and faculty textbooks.
The tribute to Depestre gave this yr’s version particular significance.
Born in Jacmel in 1926, Dépestre is extensively considered one in every of Haiti’s most influential literary voices. Poet, novelist and essayist, he has spent greater than seven many years writing about freedom, id, exile, Caribbean tradition and the Haitian expertise. His acclaimed novel “Hadriana dans tous mes rêves” earned France’s Prix Renaudot in 1988, and in Could he acquired the 2026 Goncourt Poetry Prize for his lifetime physique of labor.
The homage comes throughout a yr of celebrations marking the centennial of the author’s beginning, with literary establishments throughout Haiti organizing actions devoted to his life and work.
Past the tribute, Livres en Folie as soon as once more showcased the vitality of Haitian literature.
Kids and youngsters, accompanied by their dad and mom and different individuals, have been looking for all sorts of books to buy. Readers lined as much as meet authors and acquire signatures. Former state officers, members of the present authorities, representatives of the diplomatic corps in Haiti, and quite a few studying fans additionally attended the occasion within the massive courtyard of the El Rancho Lodge.
All through the day, the resort courtyard buzzed with conversations about books, writing and Haiti’s cultural life. In a heat and pleasant ambiance, individuals loved moments of rest, change, and sharing in opposition to a backdrop of dialog in regards to the safety and financial challenges presently going through the nation.
Organized by Le Nouvelliste since 1995, Livres en Folie stays one in every of Haiti’s most enduring cultural traditions and one of many few occasions that persistently deliver collectively readers and writers from throughout generations.
Beneath is a photograph gallery capturing moments from the thirty second version of Livres en Folie on the El Rancho Lodge in Pétion-Ville on Thursday, June 4, 2026.
