Date/Time
Date(s) - 16/08/2018
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Location
Alliance française du Bengale
Categories
Date: Thursday 16th August 2018
Time : 6:30 PM
Venue : Alliance française du Bengale,
57A Park Mansion, Park Street
Free and open to all
André Velter : The troubadour in search of eternal nectar
A representative of two world war devastated Europe, poet André Velter is the most established famous contemporary poet of France (Born in 1945). We can hear him murmuring the lines of famous 12th century lady Troubadour Azalais de Porcairagues while entering in the world of French poetry. Azalais used to write in ancient Occitan language. From Azalais, he inherited the soul of a Vagabond traveler who lost his path while following the rays of sunbeam. His most passionate poems are dedicated to his departed “Amour” Chantal, a Tibetologist, who introduced him with the intricacy of Tibetan Buddhism in the almost untraded ravines and caves of Himalayas. His book L’amour extrême (2000) is dedicated to her memory. André began to travel in India, Afghanistan and in Himalayan ranges from a very young age. The Orient attracted him from that time onwards and he collects his food for thought from these regions. Being most powerful poet of France André fancies himself as a reincarnated soul born and living in Kushana King Kanishka’s capital Purushpur in an era before Christ. He transcends through ages denying all geographical barriers and time spans.
André’s first poem was published at the age of eighteen (18) in Les temps moderns. His book of poems was published from world famous publishing house Gallimard. André was than only twenty one (21) years old. His book L’Arbre Seul (published in 1990) brought him the prestigious Prix Mallarmé award. He is also recipient of Prix Goncourt de Poésie (1996). His uncountable emotions – revolt, extreme passion, total confidence on spiritual and physical love – more over his self-attained knowledge of India’s landscape and traditional culture keep him apart from all other contemporaries.
His first Indian translation is in Bangla ‘Seine theke Ganga’ – a collection from his seven books composed between 1990 to 2012. He has written a number of poems on India and a regular visitor to Bengal.
A brief resume of Kanchana Mukhopadhyay
Kanchana Mukhopadhyay continues her research on Franco-Indian history, published many articles in research papers from Kolkata, Delhi, Mauritius and France in English and Bangla. She translates regularly from English and French to Bangla. With six published translations to her credit, she composed a reference book on Chandernagore’s French history. By profession publisher, Kanchana is co-convenor of INTACH and former president of Alliance Française du Bengale. She has been awarded the insignia of “Chevalier de l’Ordre des arts et Lettres” in 2014.
